Summer Days
by Saberae
Summary: Gary notices that Ash has a bit of a crush on him, and aims to use that knowledge to tease him for a few laughs. But when a third party comes between them, what happens when Gary realizes he's no longer teasing Ash for a laugh, but out of desire. (M for safety) GaryxAsh
1. Chapter 1

_Author's Note: Hey everyone! Just a few things to throw out there before you begin reading. **Italics** mean that the character is thinking, not speaking. Also, Ash and Gary are somewhere in their late teens, because it would be a little too creepy if I were writing about 10yr olds loving each other. I'm not exactly sure how old though, maybe it'll come up later. This fic is rated M, just to be on the safe side. I'm not sure how sketchy it's gonna get, but if it does, I don't really wanna see 13yr olds reading this. Thanks everyone, hope to hear from you via reviews! - Saberae_

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><p><strong>Chapter 1<strong>

It was a bright day, and Gary winced when his eyes opened to greet the shining sun. Abruptly closing them, and shielding his face with his hand, he attempted to gather his disconnected thoughts. He was lying in the lush grass of summer, in what was formerly the shade of a large tree, but was now basking in the warm afternoon sun.

"Must've dozed off…" Gary muttered to himself, sitting up.

"Glad to see you're finally awake," a nearby voice said, confirming Gary's conclusion.

Gary quickly turned his line of sight in the direction he heard the voice. The sun was still conveniently positioned so as to blind him, and as a result he blinked a few times with nothing more than a blank stare adorning his face.

"Wh-what are you looking at me like that for?" the voice stammered. Apparently Gary's blank stare wasn't as neutral as one would think.

As his eyes adjusted to the sunlight, and came into focus from their sleeping state, Gary finally collected his thoughts. His childhood friend/rival/friend was sitting a few feet away from him in the cool shade, holding a long fishing rod over the river they were perched by, with Gary in the raging inferno known as the sun.

"Oh, hey Ash." Gary said, very matter of fact, "I forgot you were still here."

"What do you mean you forgot?" Ash questioned, slightly miffed at the thought of being forgotten.

"I just figured that your attention span would have shorted out by now." Gary shrugged, smirking away from the victim of his instigation.

"What was that?" Ash growled, shooting a glare in Gary's direction.

"Nothing, nothing at all," Gary replied, leaning back onto the grassy slope.

~~~POKEMON~~~

"So, I thought you were going home?" Gary questioned, breaking the silence of Ash's fuming, giving the smoldering boy a one eyed glance. He turned slightly to get a better look at his friends face. "_Wait…is he blushing?_" Gary cocked an eyebrow, before closing his eyes and returning to his original pose.

"Oh, um, ya, I decided to keep at it with the fishing. I thought I might have been able to catch one if I kept it up a bit longer…" Ash replied, rather hurriedly.

"You know they don't come out too much in the afternoon, it's too hot for them," Gary responded, sighing at his friend's lack of fishing-knowledge. "Speaking of which, it's too hot for me, move over."

Gary shuffled over into the shade not bothering to stand, motioning for Ash to move over so that he could get himself out of the blistering sun. Ash began gathering their few supplies, so as to move them out of the brunet's way, and slid over to give to give the toasting teen some room. Gary moved into the shade, and the cool grass felt good on his heated arms and legs as he went to lie down once more.

"_Ouch…_" Gary cringed, sitting up to remove the rock that had stabbed him in the back. "That kinda hurt." He glanced over at Ash. "_He's blushing again_?" Confused, Gary tried to figure out what the deal was with the boy next to him. "_The heat maybe…? Wait…_" Gary glanced down to where his hand was supporting him, and found it to be right on top of Ash's. Gary quickly, but nonchalantly, removed his hand, and turned to face the river.

"_Hmm…_" Gary was usually good at analyzing situations, and Ash was typically an open book, an easy test subject for Gary's predictions. "_I wonder…_" Gary smirked.

~~~POKEMON~~~

Ash had readjusted his position to be a little further from Gary than before, and was presently staring off at the babbling river, watching the water shimmer as it hit the rocks. He had calmed down a bit now that a few minutes had passed. It was getting more and more difficult to deal with his stupid emotions, and stupid hormones. Overtime, Ash had found himself having a little crush on his childhood friend, and rival, Gary Oak. As a growing boy in his late teens, he assumed that it must simply be a phase, and that he would move on given enough time. However, the phase had lasted a bit longer than anticipated, and as a result, he had a rather elaborate crush, and longing for Gary after just a few months. Even so, Ash had absolutely NO intention of ever telling the target of his affection about it, EVER.

Little did poor, unsuspecting Ash realize, the target was catching on.

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><p><em>Author's Note: Read the next chapter, I wrote the two chapters essentially one right after the other, so it progresses a bit more in the 2nd chapter. Thanks for reading! - Saberae<em>


	2. Chapter 2

_Author's Note: Thanks for reading. This is more or less the beginning of the plot. I'm not sure how long this fic will last, hopefully not too long though. - Saberae_

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><p><strong>Chapter 2<strong>

Gary had an inkling that Ash had a crush on him for some time now. Ash had begun to hang around him more often even after Gary poked fun of him, which was strange since Ash normally couldn't stand Gary when he did that. The Oaks were a smart family, and Gary was no exception, so noticing the teen's gradual change in actions was an easy feat.

Even though the two boys were rivals, they were still friends. After Gary had decided to become a pokémon researcher instead of a pokémon master, the two really didn't compete much since their fields hardly overlapped. As a result, they went back to their original friendship status, putting their rivalry behind them…for the most part. Ash was still trying to one-up Gary all the time, usually just barely missing the mark, while Gary had no qualms about throwing a snarky remark in Ash's direction numerous times a day.

Even so, the two still enjoyed each other's company, and would never want anything bad to befall the other. However, that wasn't about to stop Gary from his newly devised plan for teasing Ash. If anything, he'd get a good laugh from the results.

Gary had moved an arm over his face to shield his eyes from the light after lying back down on the grassy banks of the river. Ash had returned his focus to fishing, staring intently at the bobber that only moved with the flowing water. Gary moved his arm slightly so as to be able to eye Ash without the younger boy noticing.

"Hey, Ash," Gary began, moving his other arm towards the addressee, "can you hand me that bottle of water?" When he finished, his arm was 'haphazardly' resting on Ash's leg (his mid-to-upper thigh to be exact), palm up, waiting for the bottle. Ash flinched. "_Heh, bingo._"

"S-sure…" Ash replied, reaching over to grab a bottle with his free hand. "Here," he said, thrusting the bottle into the older teen's hand, pushing the appendage off his leg in the process.

"Thanks," Gary was about to sit up so he could open the bottle, but not before another fantastic idea sprung into his calculating mind. Bringing the bottle above his core, he met it with his other arm, twisting the cap to open it. It was an awkward way to open a bottle without spilling it.

"Damn it," Gary cursed, half under his breath as he sat up abruptly, looking down at his soggy shirt. Ash snickered.

"Geeze, Gary, I didn't realize you were so clumsy. You can't even open a water bottle without getting it everywhere." Ash laughed, pleased at the thought of Gary being the victim of a snide remark.

"Tch, whatever…" Gary retorted, setting the capped bottle down next to him. "I'm certainly not going to sit here in a wet shirt though." He pulled his shirt off revealing a rather amazingly toned body. A scientist has got to get his exercise too; if anything, they should be the most aware of its benefits. Although he was a bit pale, the skin tone suited him. His arms were moderately built, and his abdominals were nothing to sneeze at. Gary's body was by no means a bodybuilder's, but one could certainly argue its slim, yet athletic nature.

Gary got up and laid the shirt in the sun nearby. Standing up straight, he stretched his arms up over his head since he was rather stiff from lying on the ground for so long. Taking in a deep breath of fresh summer air, he exhaled, and turned around to return to his spot in the shade.

"_Oh man…_" Gary smirked, but quickly removed the expression from his face. Ash was staring at him, seeming rather dumbstruck, and was flushed to such an extent that he didn't even notice that the object of his gaze was staring right back at him.

"…Uh, um, ya…" Ash's eyes widened when he realized the situation he found himself in, and hurriedly turned his gaze to the river in front of him. Gary was enjoying this.

"Ya, what?" Gary pressed, sitting down next to his target.

"Oh…um, it's nothing…" Ash replied, seeming rather distant.

"What's nothing," Gary asked. Ash flinched backwards. Gary had moved himself so as to lean slightly over Ash as to make direct eye contact with him, their faces about a foot away from each other.

"Uh, I…um…" Ash stuttered, losing his train of thought "_Ash, get a hold of yourself, why are you freaking out? It's just Gary! He's only asking you a simple question…with no shirt on…and so close…and…_" His thoughts trailed off, and his face was gaining a faint touch of red. The object of his affection was right there, hovering right over him with all of his magnificent bare skin, warmed with the heat of the summer afternoon. "_I wonder what it would feel like?_" Ash's mind was beginning to wander.

"Hey, Ashy-boy?" Gary snickered, snapping Ash back to reality, "Why are you blushing so much?"

"I'm not blushing!" Ash retorted, forcefully turning his face away from Gary so he couldn't see him get any redder.

"I think you are…" Gary continued, "And I think I know why."

"It's just the heat. I probably just need to cool down…" Ash replied, not sounding all too convincing.

"Heh, I don't think so…" Gary leered, leaning in a bit closer. Ash's face went completely red.

"B-But…I…" Ash was losing focus again.

Right then a voice was heard shouting from just over the hill.

"ASH? ARE YOU OVER HERE?" the voice called out. Gary and Ash both turned to look towards the direction of the voice. Ash cleared his throat.

"YA, I'M OVER HERE!" Ash called back, scooting away from his friend and standing up, Gary following suit. The source of the voice emerged from the crest of the hill, revealing himself.

"Richie!" Ash shouted, running towards his friend, surprised at the encounter.

"Hey, Ash! How've you been!" The slightly shorter boy responded, running to greet his acquaintance. The two gave each other a friendly hug, before continuing their conversation.

"Good, what're you doing here in Pallet Town?"

"I was just passing through. I stopped by Professor Oak's place to ask him some questions, and he mentioned that you were in town. Naturally, I couldn't leave before seeing you!"

"_You could've._" Gary scoffed, leaning against the trunk of the tree, pretending not to pay attention.

"How long are you staying for?" Ash inquired.

"Not very long, I might stay the night, but I should probably get going by tomorrow." Richie responded, pondering the question.

"C'mon, you could stay a bit longer than that? You could stay with me, my mom won't mind!" Ash eagerly offered.

"Oh, well I appreciate it, but Professor Oak already offered me a room at his place. I would feel bad to decline him now." Richie replied, polite as ever. Gary shot him a slight glare, but the boy didn't notice.

"Hmm…that's too bad. Oh, Richie, have you met Gary yet? He's Professor Oak's grandson, we've been friends since we were just kids." Ash began, turning to introduce his two friends.

"I've heard of you, and I believe I saw you at the Pokémon League a few years back, but I haven't had the honor of meeting you in person. I'm Richie, a pokémon trainer." He moved towards Gary, with one of those genuine smiles, and an outstretched hand.

"It's a pleasure…" Gary replied coolly, shaking the overly happy boy's hand. "_I'm not sure how much I care for this kid…_"

"So, it seems I'll be staying at your place tonight. I hope you don't mind."

"_Er, something about this kid is seriously irritating me…_" Gary narrowed his eyes, but readjusted them immediately. "Of course I don't mind, I'm glad to be able to help out." He replied, cracking a smile. "_Now go away…_"

"Well, Ash, It was good seeing you, maybe we could meet up later." Richie began, turning back towards Ash.

"Wait, where are you going? You're welcome to hang out with us," Ash implored. Gary cringed, he knew it would result in him becoming the third wheel, and that would most certainly mess with his good mood for the day.

"I wish I could, but I need to go look into some things now that I got those questions answered by Professor Oak. Maybe we can get dinner together tonight, you too Gary." Richie responded, clearly a bit disappointed that he couldn't stick around.

"Alright, we should! I'll come by Professor Oak's around 6 o'clock to meet up with you." Ash confirmed happily.

"Okay, see you later! Good-bye Gary, it was good meeting you." Richie concluded, as he started to trek back up the hill towards the town. Ash waved, Gary grunted in response.

"What's with you?" Ash questioned as soon as Richie disappeared over the hill.

"What're you talking about?" Gary feigned cluelessness.

"Why are you acting all irritated and stuff?"

"I'm not."

"Richie's a nice guy; I think you'll like him."

"Who says I didn't?" Gary defended.

"Your face." Ash retorted.

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><p><em>Author's Note: So, let me know what you think so far, so I know what to change, add, or keep doing. Stay tuned for Chapter 3! - Saberae<em>


	3. Chapter 3

_Author's Note: Thanks for the reviews, I'll definately take each one of your suggestions into consideration!. This Chapter is a wee bit longer than my other two. I usually don't try to make them short, but I just feel like some places are good for chapter breaks. Anyways, thanks again for reading! - Saberae_

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><p><strong>Chapter 3<strong>

Ash set the tackle box on the wooden bench inside the shed. The two boys had come to the conclusion that they would never catch anything on a hot day like this, thus resulting in their return to the Oak residence.

"Maybe we can try again later in the week," Ash suggested, wiping the sweat from his brow.

"Maybe…but there'd be no point with your lack of skill," Gary shrugged, propping the fishing rod against the wall, "We would be out there _all _week before you'd catch anything."

"I didn't see you catching anything either, Gary," Ash snapped.

"I'm not too sure about that, Ashy-boy…" Gary smirked as he slowly approached his friend. Ah, how he loved messing with the kid's mind. Since he didn't get complete satisfaction earlier thanks to whatever-his-name-was, he figured he could milk some laughs from what time he had left with Ash.

Ash turned around, startled at how close Gary was, and stepped back to put a more comfortable distance between them. Or, he tried to step back, but found the coarse wooden wall of the shed to be standing in his way. With his back pressed firmly against it, Ash was feeling the awkwardness of the situation.

"Er…what are you talking about?" Ash questioned, arching an eyebrow, glancing around for a means of escape.

Gary moved closer until there were only inches between the two teenagers. He somewhat forcefully put his hand against the wall of the shed just to the left of Ash's head, to block the boy's only escape route, causing Ash to quickly return his gaze to his pursuer.

"I think you know _who_ I'm talking about," Gary murmured, eyes narrowed, giving Ash a piercing, seductive look that seemed as if it was peering directly into his victim's soul. Ash swallowed, a slight shiver went up his spine, and that ever obvious blush began to creep its way onto his cheeks. But just as it began to appear, it immediately vanished.

"Boys? Gary? Ash? Are you out here?" Came a voice from outside the shed.

"Yes, we're in the shed! Just putting away the fishing supplies!" Ash called back, ducking under Gary's arm, bolting out the shed door. "Hey, Professor Oak, how're you doing?"

"I'm doing quite well, Ash. How was fishing?" Samuel Oak replied, pleased to see the chipper teenager, as they began to chat about the day's activities.

Gary was still in the same position Ash left him in, staring at the door to the shed with his mouth slightly open in disbelief.

"_Really? Did that really just happen AGAIN?_" He chuckled, pulling his hand over his face, and stood up straight. "_It was fun while it lasted…_" Gary shrugged to himself, shaking his head. After all, he had no particular reason to get upset; he was just messing around for kicks.

~~~POKÉMON~~~

"Ah, Gary, there you are," Professor Oak began, as Gary emerged from the shed.

"Hey, Gramps," Gary responded, seeming rather uninterested.

"Ash just informed me that you two have already met up with Richie, which saves me some explaining," the professor continued, "Since the boy's staying with us for the night, I figured I'd invite him, as well as Ash, to have dinner with us this evening." Gary hesitated a bit too long for his own good.

"Sounds great!" He turned to face his grandfather with a smile, quickly following with "it'd be good to have some company." His grandfather bought it.

"Alright, does that sound good to you, Ash?" the old man confirmed.

"You bet, I'll just let my mom know. Can I use your cell phone, Gary?" Ash inquired.

"Ya, sure, I left it up in my room." The brunet responded, beginning to walk towards the back door to the house/lab.

"It'll be around seven," the professor called out to the teens before he himself headed towards the pastures.

~~~POKÉMON~~~

"Here," Gary warned, right before tossing his phone in Ash's direction.

"Thanks," Ash caught the phone and began dialing his home number.

Gary sat down on his bed which he made earlier that morning, and swung his legs up so he could lay comfortably while propping himself up against the pillows and headboard. He had a room that was well organized. The teen's desk and shelves were lined with binders and reference books, most likely pertaining to his research, and a chalkboard with various equations and numbers listed on it was against one of the walls.

"Hey, Mom," Ash began his conversation. Gary tuned it out.

The researcher reached for some papers he had on his nightstand, glancing over the writing, and taking a pencil to them. After jotting down a few things, and erasing some others, he glanced at the chalkboard squinting slightly. Sighing, he reached for the drawer in his nightstand, and pulled out a pair of glasses. They were smart looking, somewhat squared, rimless glasses that suited Gary Oak's scientific persona perfectly.

"Alright, thanks Mom, I'll talk to you later." Ash hung up, glancing over at Gary on the bed. He looked so determined, working on his research, glancing back and forth between his notes and the chalkboard across the room. His expression suited him, and Ash preferred it over the mocking one that was normally plastered across his rival's face. "I didn't know you wore glasses."

"Mmm…" was the response Gary gave, scribbling down one last thing before setting the papers back on the nightstand. "Ya, I've had them for a little while now, probably from staring at the computer too much," with a smirk as clear as day on his face, he quickly turned his gaze towards Ash. "You think they're sexy?" It took Ash a second to register what Gary had said as he felt his face getting hot.

"No…not really," Ash lied, turning to pretend to be interested in some books on a nearby shelf, hiding his face from view.

"Whaaat?" Gary began. Ash could hear the bed creak as Gary got off of it. "You don't think I'm sexy?" Gary questioned, with a slight wine.

"I didn't say that…" Ash muttered, mostly to himself, not daring to turn around. "_Oh my gosh, how on earth did I get into this! Just when I thought I wasn't into him anymore, Gary keeps pulling lines like this! He's gonna catch on, and I'll never hear the end of it!_" Ash was trying to find a way to come out on top of this conversation. Clearly, Gary was asking him leading questions, which meant he was aiming for something. "_What does he want? Does he…like me as well?_" The thought had not once dawned on Ash. "_Impossible…Gary Oak would never admit to that, even if he DID like me_." Ash may be a bit dim in some cases, but he was typically quick on his feet under pressure. "_That's it! He must be trying to embarrass me, that's all he ever does…I'm not gonna let him win this time_." Ash concluded his thought process, took a deep breath, and turned around to find Gary right behind him.

"I'm sorry, I couldn't hear what you said, you should speak up when confessing your love for me," Gary laughed a bit, but sounded somewhat serious at the same time. Ash's eyes went wide, but he recovered.

"Gary, did you just say that you wanted _me_ to confess my love for _you_?" Ash began, pulling a smirk of his own. Gary's mocking expression vanished, replaced with a slightly perplexed look. "I didn't know you felt so strongly about me. I didn't think that you, _the_ Gary Oak, would ask me to tell you that I love you," Ash laughed, he was sounding quite convincing.

"W-what? I never said-" Gary was cut off.

"But you did," Ash snickered.

"You're just pinning this on me," Gary defended.

"Who would've guessed?" Ash continued, ignoring Gary's comments.

Gary was in complete shock. How did this get turned around on him? He _always_ had the upper hand, especially when it involved Ash, and now his strategy had backfired on him. He stared at the younger teen in disbelief, not sure how to respond as he was rather embarrassed himself.

"Relax, Gary!" Ash burst out laughing, "I was just kidding. I didn't think you'd take me so seriously!" Gary blinked a few times. "I didn't think you'd get so defensive," Ash continued, "If I didn't know any better, I'd say you had a thing for me." Ash continued snickering, before a call came from downstairs.

"Gary! Ash! Richie's here!" they could hear Professor Oak call.

"Coming!" Ash shouted in response, walking out of the bedroom towards the stairs, but just before he rushed down them, he paused. "_He didn't have to be so defensive about it…_"

Gary sat down on his bed, and ran his hand through his seemingly perpetual spiky hair. He flopped backwards on the bed, staring at the ceiling. He was a bit confused.

"What was I getting so defensive for…?" Gary muttered to himself. "_I mean, I have nothing to hide…_" He rolled over onto his side, "Or do I…"

Gary wasn't about to deny the fact that he enjoyed being the center of attention. The fact that Ash had a crush on him only inflated the researcher's ego even more, and as a result, Gary was rather smitten with the idea of the younger boy's infatuation with him. It seemed to him now that he had become so accustomed to the attention from Ash, that the idea of the teen giving more attention to someone else kind of irritated him.

The whole walk back to the lab earlier that day, Ash kept going on about Richie this, and Richie that. If Gary hadn't already been aware of Ash's feelings, he would've thought the two were a bit too obsessed over the other. It had actually gotten to the point that if he heard Richie's name one more time, he was going to punch the next moving object he saw…other than Ash.

Gary sat up, and sighed, staring at the floor in front of him. "_Why am I getting so emotional about this? I was just messing around, and now…_" his eyes widened. After a second, he relaxed them, and smiled. "Looks like I was wrong. He does have some skill in catching something…"

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><p><em>Author's Note: So, it seems the tables have turned on Gary, and who would've guessed that Ash would be able to hold his own like that? Tune in next time to find out what happens! - Saberae<em>


	4. Chapter 4

_Author's Note: Look how long this chapter is! Aren't you all so happy! So, I was writing this yeterday (I've been trying to get out a chapter a day if you didn't notice), but I had my initiation into the Professional Chemistry Fraterinity, Alpha Chi Sigma, yesterday. Isn't that exciting! I know you all don't care, but that's my excuse as to why this is up here a day late. To make things better, I made it longer, so yipee! Enjoy! - Saberae_

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><p><strong>Chapter 4<strong>

Gary sighed, shaking his head, slowly going down the stairs step by step. He could hear the voices of Ash, Richie, and his grandfather in the living room, and the cheer in their tones was obvious. The young researcher was hoping he could avoid conversation; he wasn't really in the mood to make small talk with _Richie_. Why did he dislike Richie so much anyways? It was probably because the boy was intruding in his home, or maybe because his politeness and personality seemed a bit fake, or _maybe_ it was because he consumed all of Ash's attention. Gary stopped on the bottom stair, and narrowed his eyes, staring at some unknown, invisible spot in the air. That was it. This short midget boy, who fell out of the sky (or at least, it seemed like it), invaded his home and stole Ash AND his grandfather from him!

"Heh…" Gary chuckled to himself. "_What am I, ten years old? The things that go through my head…_" Clearly, Gary was overreacting, and as the mature 19-year-old he was, he realized this. He mentally shrugged off his preposterous conclusions, and sidled along the wall so he could peer around the corner into the living room without anyone noticing.

They were all laughing, and Richie was going on about something or another, but whatever it was, Gary was intent on paying it no interest. He crept past the entrance to the living room, as quiet as possible, relaxing as he entered the kitchen which was out of sight of the others. Sighing with relief, he opened the fridge, and began to look for something to drink.

There were various sodas, water, orange juice, beer, and milk. Gary wasn't super fond of milk, so that was quickly removed from his options. He drank a beer every so often, usually when his grandfather wasn't around, but he wasn't about to drink in the late afternoon with a bunch of company over. He picked up one of the beer cans just to look at the nutrition facts for kicks, who knows why.

"Gary?" a voice from behind him questioned. Gary, startled, jumped up from where he crouched in front of the fridge, spinning around.

"Man, Ash, I didn't hear you come in," Gary sighed in relief, glad to see that it was just the two of them in the kitchen. Ash eyed the can in Gary's hand.

"Do you drink?" Ash inquired, arching an eyebrow.

"Yes, I mean no, I mean not right now," Gary responded quickly, slightly tripping on his words. He took a deep breath, smiling at his awkward response. "No, I'm not drinking this; I was just looking at it." He set the can down in the fridge, grabbing a coke instead. Ash looked skeptical.

"Uh-huh, whatever you say, I know you're secretly an alcoholic," Ash smiled, as he grabbed two glasses out of the cabinet for some water.

"Whatever…" Gary muttered. He did not like being falsely accused, but decided to let the comment slide.

"So, why don't you join us in the living room?" Ash began, pouring water into the two glasses. "Richie was just telling us this awesome story…" Gary tuned him out without meaning to. It seemed that the word "Richie" had become a queue to stop listening. He opened the can of soda, and looked out the kitchen window. The sun hadn't quite begun to set; it must've been near six o'clock. "Helloooo?" A hand waved in front of his face, causing him to flinch slightly. "Were you even listening to me?" Ash questioned with a scowl.

"Ya, ya," Gary replied. "I dunno, I think I'm just gonna head up to my room."

"That's a great idea, Gary," Professor Oak stated, walking into the kitchen with 'the midget' right behind him. "Why don't you three head on up there while I get things ready for dinner." Gary glared at his grandfather, but the old man didn't seem to notice.

"Here, Richie," Ash handed him one of the glasses of water, "Let's go upstairs."

"Sounds good to me," Richie smiled. Gary rolled his eyes.

The three headed up the stairs, Gary leading, Ash behind him, and Richie following suit. Gary was by no means thrilled with the arrangement. Richie flat out annoyed him by existing, but now the irate teenager would have to entertain the boy too? In his own bedroom no less! Not to mention all the while having to fight him off of Ash…which wasn't a problem, because why would he care if Richie came onto Ash?

"_Damn, why does this kid bother me so much? I mean, just because I don't like him doesn't mean Ash can't like him...so I should accept their friendship. What does Ash even see in him? I mean, this shortie doesn't even compare to me!_" Gary ran a hand over his face. This was getting ridiculous. Just a few hours ago, Gary was intent on screwing with Ash's feelings as a joke, and now he was obsessing over those same feelings to the point where he, Gary Oak, was feeling jealousy towards a younger midget teenage boy! What was the world coming to?

"Gary, are you feeling okay?" Ash whispered to him, as they entered the room.

"I'm _fine_," Gary replied, through clenched teeth.

"Then why are you crushing that can when you haven't even finished it?" Ash pointed out. Gary looked at the soda can in his hand, to find that he had been clenching his fist a little too hard. He relaxed his grip.

"Oh, I dunno, just felt like it I guess…" Gary responded.

"Wow, Gary, your room is so organized. I can definitely tell a scientist lives here." Richie complimented. "My room is never this clean back at home."

"Oh I know, same here," Ash agreed, "Even though I'm eighteen, my mom still gets onto me about cleaning it." The two shared a laugh.

"Wait is that what I think it is?" Richie asked himself, approaching one of the book shelves. "Oh man, it is! I love this book!"

"What is it," Ash asked, moving over to his side to look at whatever he was holding.

Gary glanced over to see what book he had picked up. It was a Pokémon field guide, the Johto region edition. It was essentially like a pokédex in book form. It had tons of photos and illustrations of all the pokémon, along with elaborate descriptions of each species. The two sat down on the floor and began to flip through the pages of the thick encyclopedia.

"I'm going to go ahead and shower before dinner," Gary stated, heading towards the door.

"What? You're not gonna stay in here with us?" Ash questioned, sounding disappointed. This made Gary feel a little better.

"_Hear that, Richie? Ash wants me to stay, he doesn't want to be alone with you_," Gary mentally patted himself on the back. "I'll be back in like ten minutes, don't worry."

"Alright then," Ash replied, returning his attention to his book.

"Don't take too long," Richie added.

Gary turned the shower on, letting the water warm up. He quickly removed his clothes, leaving them in a pile in the middle of the floor, and glanced at the mirror. Yes, Gary Oak likes to admire himself in the mirror before he showers. If there had been a contest for the hottest guy in Pallet Town, he would win it hands down, at least in his opinion.

He hopped into the water, adjusting the temperature of the steaming liquid. His body was feeling a bit grimy from fishing earlier that day, not to mention his hair was looking a little ratty from lying in the grass so much, so a shower is just what the teen needed.

"_I wonder if I was wrong about Ash liking me like that…_" Gary let the hot water pour over his head. "_After he said what he did in my room earlier, he caught me so off guard, I'm not sure what to think anymore._" He grabbed the shampoo, squeezing some into his hand, and began to lather it onto his hair. "_I wonder what he's doing right now?_" Gary's eyes shot open. "_I left him…alone…in my bedroom…with him! What was I thinking!_" Gary furrowed his brow. "_Wait, they're just friends. Not everyone is like me…wow, way to make myself sound bad_". As he rinsed his hair, he began to lather soap over his body to scrub off the dirt from earlier. He finished washing himself off, and relaxed under the steady rhythm of the water.

"Oh man..." Gary growled, realizing he forgot to bring his change of clothes into the bathroom with him. "_I'll just have to walk in and get them out of my room._" Gary smirked, water still running over him, "_I wonder how Ash would react to that? He'd probably blush, like he has been all day._" he snickered, enjoying the image that came to mind. "_Hmm, maybe I can finish up what I was trying to pull earlier by the river…I mean, he looked as if he'd let me do anything I wanted to him._" a few scenarios flashed through his mind, and he smirked at the thought of each of them. Gary's face froze. "_Am I really that into him?_" He glanced down, to see the answer to his question hardening right between his legs. "Great…"

Wrapping his towel around his waist, Gary began to mess with his hair. He used the hair dryer, brushed it, added a tiny bit of gel, and after a few minutes his trademark hairstyle was set. Sighing, he gathered his dirty clothes, and headed out of the bathroom, a billow of steam following him into the hallway.

"Sorry, I forgot to bring a change of-" Gary stopped midsentence as he entered into his bedroom, "hey, where's Richie?"

"Oh he went downstairs to ask Professor Oak a-" Ash stopped midsentence as well after turning around from his position on the floor. Gary had a glint in his eye.

"A what?" Gary lead, setting his clothes down on the bed. Ash's gaze followed him around the room.

"_Get yourself together, Ash. It's fine, this is just a phase, just ignore the fact that he has no shirt, looks great, and totally turns you on._" Ash swallowed, immediately turning his sight back to the book. "Um, a question…about this pokémon here."

"Oh, well, you could've just waited for me to get out of the shower; I can probably tell you what you need to know. Here let me see." Gary responded. He walked over to where Ash was sitting on the floor, and kneeled next to him. "Is it this one?" He asked, intentionally brushing his arm against Ash's as he went to point at a particular image on the page. Gary could see Ash was blushing. Ah, the simple things in life, it's amazing how happy they can make someone feel.

"No, this one…" Ash replied, somewhat shakily. Instead of pointing the picture himself, he took Gary's hand, and moved it over the one he was talking about.

"O-oh," the unexpected contact made Gary lose his composure, but only briefly. He was normally fine in these situations, but for some reason Ash tended to cause him to feel a little shaken from time to time. The 19-year-old cleared his throat. "Well, you see, the colors on this one change depending on the climate it lives in…"

Ash stared at the book, but wasn't hearing anything Gary was saying. It's not like he didn't want to listen to him, he loved hearing his voice, especially when it was free of a mocking tone, he was just too distracted. The heat radiating off of Gary's body was easily felt, both because of the hot shower he had taken, and because of how close he was to Ash. The eighteen-year-old shifted his position, so as to 'unintentionally' cause his and Gary's legs to touch. He was starting to long for physical contact at this point, whether he wanted it or not.

The same could be said about the older teen. Gary noticed Ash's intentional movement, but kept explaining about the content in the book as if nothing had happened. He glanced over at Ash, and could tell the boy was barely paying attention.

"Ash?" Gary inquired.

"Ya?"

"What are you thinking about?" he continued. Ash swallowed, his throat dry.

"Um, why?" Ash questioned, knowing he was losing what little guise he had left.

"You just look like…you want something," Gary stated, glancing in the opposite direction of his friend. Ash looked at him, unable to see his face now that he had turned away.

"What do you mean?" Ash asked, cautiously, looking straight at the researcher. "_Oh great, what do I do? I'm alone in a room, with Gary Oak right next to me, and I'm not sure how I can handle this. He's gonna punch me if he finds out, I know it!_" Ash was not thrilled about that idea at all.

"Your face is red," Gary pointed out, somewhat affectionately.

"What? No it's not," Ash defended, knowing that his response had no sound basis whatsoever.

"Yes. It is." Gary muttered, turning back to look at the dark haired boy, leaning in close, so the two of their faces were again, only inches away. "You can't deny it," he smirked, and then his eyes narrowed as they stared straight into Ash's, "you want me."

Ash's eyes widened and the embarrassment of being found out nearly overwhelmed the poor teenager. His heart was racing uncontrollably, and his mind panicked as it tried to figure out how to respond to such a statement. It was true, but how was he supposed to prevent himself from getting punched square in the nose?

"I-I-I…what?" Ash stammered, clearly having a meltdown of sorts. Gary reached out his hand and placed it on Ash's cheek, causing Ash to glance at it, then right back at Gary's piercing, but calming, gaze. Gary leaned in a bit closer. At this point, Ash was still sitting, leaning backwards with his arms supporting him, and Gary was more or less hovering over the trembling teen with one arm supporting his position..

"You heard me…" Gary whispered, leaning in closer than before, "…and I want you." he finally admitted, more to himself than to the object of his desire.

Ash could feel the boy's warm breath against his ear, causing him to shiver slightly in anticipation. He began to reach out to pull the 'shirtless epitome of all that was good in this world' towards him when a voice came from down the hall.

"Ash, Gary it's dinner time! Professor Oak told me to call you two down here." Richie's extremely unwelcomed voice came. His footsteps could be heard fast approaching.

Ash and Gary both turned their gaze from the direction of the open door back to each other. Ash jumped up off the floor, turning away from the door so Richie wouldn't see the obvious embarrassment all over his face.

"Ash, Gary, did you hear me?" Richie asked, walking into the bedroom. Raising an eyebrow at Gary on the floor in a towel, he turned to see Ash simply staring at a wall. "Um, okaaay. Well, come on down when you're ready then, it's going to get cold if you don't hurry."

"Richie's right, Gary, you'd better get dressed before your food gets cold." Ash added, heading towards the door.

"Ash." Gary spoke sternly. Ash stopped at the door. "Don't go thinking that we're finished here." the scientist informed. Ash left the room, and headed down the stairs not saying a word.

"_I can't believe this!_" Ash's mind was racing as he practically fell down the stairs, "_I can't believe that this ridiculous crush of mine is going this far?_ _I don't even know how I should handle this!_"

Gary punched the floor. A scowl was plastered on his face, and he was fuming. "Damn it!" he cursed, getting up from his prior position. "_Why the hell did Richie have to show up then! That kid is really starting to piss me off…It's like he's doing it all on purpose!_" Gary growled and shot glares at every inanimate object in the room as he got dressed. He couldn't stand being interrupted, and this was certainly no exception. After buttoning up his shirt, he stormed out of his room towards the stairs, and took a deep breath to calm himself down. He just had to make it through dinner.

* * *

><p><em>Author's Note: Okay, I'm only going to say this once. I'm sorry for bashing Richie so much. I imagine he has a small fanbase, but for those of you who qualify, I'm sorry. This is a fic that's meant to focus on Gary and Ash, so I'll probably end up putting most other characters in not too awesome positions. Also, I hope you guys are tired of all these interruptions, because I'm sure Gary is. I'm so proud of him for admitting his feelings, haha. Hopefully things will develope a lot more after dinner. Also, again, I'm not sure how long this fic will last. I'm considering making it a part of a series of sorts. Thanks for reading, please let me know what you think! - Saberae<em>


	5. Chapter 5

_Author's Note: Thanks for the reviews guys, they really make my day! Hope you enjoy this next chapter. - Saberae_

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><p><strong>Chapter 5<strong>

Gary sat down at the dining room table, he was showered, dressed, well-groomed, and fuming like there was no tomorrow. Ash cringed when Gary had entered the room, he knew the boy well enough to realize the wretched mood he was in. All he could hope for was that the meal wouldn't turn into a raging war.

"Good of you to finally join us, Gary," Professor Oak stated once Gary had sat down. Gary only grunted in response.

"Wow, Professor, this looks great!" Richie exclaimed, "I haven't had the opportunity to eat this kind of food in ages!"

"Why thank you, Richie. It's nice to hear that from _someone_ every once in a while." replied the elder Oak, shooting a hinting glance towards his grandson, who ignored it.

"Thanks for having me over, Professor Oak," Ash smiled gratefully between bites.

"It's no problem at all, it's good to finally have some company," the old man replied courteously.

The dining room table was large enough to seat six; one on each end, and two on each side. The seating arrangement ended up in Ash and Richie sitting next to each other on one side of the table, and with Gary and his grandfather on the other. Gary was sitting across from Ash. The elder teenager was not too thrilled with the fact that the younger boys were sitting next to each other. He would've preferred it if Richie was eating in the kitchen, but he knew that'd be impossible to pull off. The two boys seemed happy though, and were clearly very comfortable around the other. It was weird, even though they saw rarely saw each other, they were practically to the point of finishing each others' sentences. The familiarity between Ash and Richie was beginning to grate on Gary, for whatever reason.

"Gary?"

"What?" Gary responded, coming back to reality.

"I asked if you would be able to help set up the guest room upstairs for Richie," Professor Oak sighed, slightly irritated at the lack of attention his grandson was paying him.

"Sure." Gary replied, also irritated at what was being asked of him.

Ash ate his dinner carefully, so he wouldn't accidentally make eye contact with the teen across from him since he was just too nervous to look at Gary. After what had happened upstairs just a few minutes ago, he could barely take the pressure of being in the same room as him.

"_Was he serious back there? Or was he just playing one of his usual cruel jokes?_" Ash poked at his food with his fork. "_But he said that we weren't finished…does he mean he wants to go further?_" Ash blushed slightly.

Gary snuck a glance over the rim of his glass as he took a sip of water at the boy across the table. He noticed the blush on Ash's face.

"_Good grief Ash, you need to find some self-control,_" Gary criticized, keeping his opinion to himself. "_I wonder what he's embarrassed about now…I haven't said anything to him since I got down here_." Gary glanced over at Richie. The youngest teen was eating his meal eagerly, but with poise nonetheless. Wait a minute, was he left-handed? Ash was sitting on Richie's right, Ash was blushing, and Richie's right hand was free! "_What! I swear, if that kid so much as thinks that he can come into this town, and do whatever he wants, he's going to have to answer to me!_" Gary scowled, glaring blatantly at Richie. "_If he dares touch Ash in any way, shape, or form, he's got another thing coming!_" Ash immediately noticed the growing storm forming over Gary's corner of the table.

"_Oh great, what's wrong now? I haven't even said anything to him to make him upset. Maybe he's angry about earlier? I knew I shouldn't have gone along with what he was trying to pull…_" Ash sighed, but then he noticed the direction of the older boy's death glare. "_Wait, why is he glaring at Richie like that?_"

"Um, do you need something, Gary?" Richie asked, a bit startled by the piercing gaze he accidentally earned himself. Gary cleared his throat, retracting his glare.

"Can you pass the salad please," he requested strategically. Richie grabbed the salad bowl with _both_ hands, passing it over the table to Gary. "Thanks" Gary muttered.

"No problem," Richie smiled.

"_Maybe he wasn't doing anything…Agh, why do I keep jumping to these crazy conclusions!_" Gary angrily piled some salad onto his plate (if that is at all possible). "_Why am I getting so frickin' jealous! I have nothing to worry about… just calm down Gary_." He sighed as he began munching on some lettuce, trying to compose himself.

"So Ash, when do you have to head home?" Richie began.

"Hmm, I'm not really sure. My mom didn't say anything, but I should probably get back before it gets to be too late." Ash concluded.

"Hey, what if you spent the night over here?" Richie asked eagerly. "Would that be okay with you Professor?"

"I don't see why it wouldn't be okay," Professor Oak replied. Gary sat in his seat, his eyes darting between each individual as they spoke. He was not sure how this was going to turn out.

"So, Ash, what do you think?" Richie implored, hoping his friend would agree.

"I think that'd be awesome! I'll let my mom know after dinner, she shouldn't mind at all." Ash replied with a smile.

"_Always a momma's boy,_" Gary snickered.

"What're you laughing at, Gary?" his grandfather noted.

"Oh, it's nothing. So, where's Ash going to sleep if the guest room is taken?" Gary nonchalantly pointed out.

"Hmm…" The elder Oak contemplated.

"He could stay in the guest room with me, it'd be fun!" Richie offered. Gary's eyes shot lasers at the boy. Or they would have if they could.

"Are you sure? I could just sleep on the couch down here, it wouldn't bother me." Ash replied.

"You could always spend the night in Gary's room, like you did when you were younger." Professor Oak suggested. Gary was grateful for his grandfather's remark, but it seemed that his pride got the best of him.

"We aren't kids anymore, Gramps. I don't think we'd have too much room to ourselves in my bed." Gary replied, and after noticing Ash's slight embarrassment at the comment, he seriously wanted to kick himself for shooting the suggestion down. "_Gah! Gary! What the hell are you doing! FIX IT!_" the researcher then quickly added, "But I wouldn't mind letting you have the bed, Ash, I could sleep on the floor just fine. Or at my desk…I'm kinda used to that too." he chuckled.

"Oh, thanks, Gary." Ash began, "How about we just see how things go. It's not like I need to go to sleep right after dinner. So we can all decide sleeping arrangements later," he smiled. Gary and Richie both appeared satisfied with that answer, so the tension in the air seemed to loosen up a bit. Well, the tension that Gary was causing himself seemed to loosen up, Richie seemed generally indifferent…or so one would think.

~~~POKÉMON~~~

"Gary, would you mind helping me by clearing off the table?" Professor Oak asked, but it was more of a command. "I need to go finish up some work in the lab before it gets too late.

"Ya, ya…" Gary muttered, grabbing some dishes off the table.

"Hey, I have to go make a phone call really quick, I'll be right back. Sorry!" Richie explained after he glanced at his cell phone. He got up and headed out the front door for some privacy. Gary sighed in relief. He started stacking plates, glancing over to Ash who was still sitting at the table.

"Hey, Ashy-boy, instead of just sitting there, why don't you help me out?" Gary criticized. Ash didn't respond. Gary furrowed his brow, "_What's wrong with him?_" He walked over to and stood right behind where the teen was sitting, leaning over the back of the chair, the older teen went right for Ash's ear, giving it a light nibble. Ash's face went red.

"What the hell!" Ash jumped up from his chair. "What'd you do that for?"

"To get your attention," Gary said blatantly, walking back to the dishes he had to carry into the kitchen, smirking.

"You could've just said my name," Ash pointed out, still rather embarrassed.

"I did, but you didn't hear me," Gary replied, as he headed into the kitchen.

"Oh…but, still!" Ash called after him. Gary sighed as he loaded the plates into the dishwasher. He was getting a bit tired of Ash's pretending. The trainer either needed to admit his feelings, or quit leading the scientist on this wild goose chase. Ash walked into the kitchen with his hand on his ear. "You could've just tapped me on the shoulder too-" Gary pushed him against the kitchen wall. "G-Gary, what are you doing?" Ash gasped, a bit bewildered by the other boy's actions.

"Look at me, and listen well, Ashy-boy," Gary had no laughter in his tone. "You need to tell me right here, right now, exactly how you feel, and what you're trying to achieve. I'm getting a little tired of these bipolar emotions of yours." Ash was pinned, and Gary was not about to retreat.

"I…I'm not sure what you're talking about," Ash lied. "_Ash, keep it together, please keep it together, you NEED to keep it together_."

"You know full well what I'm talking about," Gary's tone grew more intense, but its volume kept low. "I'm not oblivious, and you're nothing but an open book. I know you aren't as clueless as you let on to be. So answer me." Gary's eyes grew calm, "…please?" Ash was taken aback. Gary Oak said please? Well, of course he says 'please', but never in such a manner, and to Ash of all people? It was just unheard of. Ash closed his eyes and sighed.

"_Alright, Ash. You have to do this. Just tell him, and get it over with. He already seems angry, so it's not like telling him the truth will get him anymore upset._" Ash swallowed. "You want to know how I feel?"

"Yes." Gary replied, determined to get an answer.

"And you want to know what I hope to achieve?" Ash continued.

"Yes." Gary confirmed.

Ash reached up with his right hand, grabbing Gary's collar, and in one fluid motion he pulled the boy in close, locking him in an unexpected, entrancing kiss. Gary's eyes were wide with shock, completely paralyzed by the event that had befallen him, and he was limp, unable to react.

"Does that answer your question?" Ash asked, breaking the contact between the two.

Gary nodded, unable to respond in words, but the expression on his face was enough for Ash.

* * *

><p><em>Author's Note: So, what did you think? Some progression, no? I didn't think that Ash would be the one to make the move he did, always thought I'd have Gary be the initiator, but oh well. I didn't want to make Ash seem too submissive, I don't think that's entirely his personality. Tune in next time~! - Saberae<em>


	6. Chapter 6

_Author's Note: Hey everyone, I'm really sorry that this chapter took a while to get up (I think it took about a week!). This past week was my last week of classes, so I had a lot of things to finish up and whatnot. Anyways, I hope you all enjoy this long awaited chapter! - Saberae_

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><p><strong>Chapter 6<strong>

The two boys just stood there, staring at each other. Gary was still a bit dazed, putting his hand on the counter for support, while Ash let out a shaky breath, sliding down the wall so he could sit on the floor. He closed his eyes and rested his head against the wall.

"_Did that really just happen?_" Gary's mind was in a haze. He was thrown so off guard, he wasn't sure what was going on. He glanced over at Ash, and cleared his throat. "Thanks," Gary murmured, barely above a whisper. Ash cracked an eye open.

"What's this? Gary Oak, expressing gratitude?" the trainer smiled endearingly.

"Whatever," the older teen retorted, lowering himself down to sit next to the younger. "You know what this means, right?" his voice was smooth, and his breath tickled the other's ear.

"No, what?" Ash inquired, blushing slightly from the close proximity.

"You'll be sleeping in my room tonight," Gary smirked.

"What? You already decided?" Richie asked, walking into the kitchen. Gary all but jumped onto the counter in surprise.

"Oh, um, no…not yet," Ash jumped up, and glanced nervously at Gary, who was clearly not happy with the comment.

"Oh, well isn't that what Gary just said?" Richie questioned, confused.

" Uhh…," Ash didn't have a response, and looked over to Gary for help.

"I said that because I might have to do some lab work tonight. If I do, then my bed is freed up for use." Gary replied, very convincingly.

"Oh, right, that makes sense. When will you know for sure?" Richie continued.

"_Why the hell does he care?_" Gary frowned, "I'm waiting on an e-mail about a deadline. I haven't gotten one yet, though."

"I see…" the shortest teen murmured.

~~~POKÉMON~~~

"Hey, Gary, is it okay if I go ahead and shower?" Ash asked, more as a formality than an actual question.

"Nope, not okay," Gary smirked, clearly being sarcastic, "Sure, go ahead, you know where it is." He nodded towards the hallway.

The three boys were lazing about in Gary's room. The eldest was on the computer going through his e-mails, the youngest was looking at the book from earlier, and the middle teen was heading towards the bathroom. The eldest got up from his desk, and walked towards the door.

"Hey, do you need a change of clothes?" Gary called down the hall after Ash.

"Naa, my mom dropped off some stuff for me. Didn't you hear her at the door earlier?" Ash replied, sticking his head out of the bathroom. Gary shrugged, not remembering the event at all.

The researcher returned to his seat at his desk and began sorting through mail some more. He read the shorter ones, and left the lengthy, more informative ones for later. With a sigh, Gary leant back in his chair, rubbing his eyes.

"Is being a researcher hard work?" Richie asked from his spot on the floor.

"Hmm…I suppose so. Depends though…" Gary replied, keeping his eyes closed.

"Do you like it?" Richie continued.

"I better, it's going to be my career," Gary replied pointedly.

"Well, not everyone likes their career," the younger corrected. Gary wasn't one to take corrections like that all too well.

"Well, I'm not everyone…" Gary replied, his eye lightly twitched as he sat up to continue his work on the computer. There was no response, pleasing the scientist. Just then, he felt a little uneasy.

"I know you're not…" Gary froze. Richie was standing over him, speaking barely above a whisper into the other's ear. "You're not like anyone else…"

"Um, what are you doing?" Gary asked, straightforward and to the point.

"Heh…" was all the elder teen heard as he felt the younger's arms snaking around his shoulders, embracing him. Richie rested his head on Gary's shoulder, and brought a hand up to the latter's face. "Why are you so stiff all the sudden?" Richie implored, "What happened to your typical rebellious attitude?" Gary flinched, and pulled the arms off of him, jumping out of the chair so he could face his pursuer. He paused for a second.

"_Eh…why am I so rattled?_" Gary contemplated, furrowing his brow. He was now standing with Richie in front of him…the boy was a good foot shorter than himself. He could throw this kid half a mile if he wanted to. "What were you trying to do just now?" Gary asked, unsure of what crazy ideas were going through Richie's head.

"Oh, Gary, I thought for sure you would realize…" Richie replied, shaking his head.

"Why would _I_ realize?" Gary asked, slightly irritated at the indirect answer.

"It's because it is _you_, that you should realize!" Richie replied, "Gary, can't you tell when someone is making a move on you?"

"Say what?" his jaw dropped in disbelief. Was this short, little munchkin boy hitting on him? Gary did all he could to prevent himself from bursting out laughing. "Heh, _you_ are trying to make a move on _me_?"

"I'm not trying to," Richie replied, taking advantage of Gary's lack of preparedness, pushing him onto the desk (rather awkwardly), "I am."

"What?" Gary gasped from the impact of being forced backwards.

"You heard me," the younger's voice was hot on Gary's skin. Immediately following that, Richie latched on to the older teen's neck, sucking the spot so as to leave an unmistakable mark. Just then, a thud was heard at the door.

"Get the hell off of me!" Gary pushed the kid to the grown, and rubbed his neck in irritation. "What do you think you're doing? Look kid, I don't even like you, and I'm way out of your league."

"Says who?" Richie questioned, clearly unhappy.

"Says me, twerp." Gary retorted, voice raised. That's when he eyed the pile of things in the doorway. "_Wait, aren't those...Ash's things!_" His eyes widened at the thought. "Ash!" Gary called out, heading towards the doorway. "Ash!"

"_It's always about Ash, isn't it?_" Richie's eyes narrowed, as he stood up from where he had been pushed onto the floor. "_I'll show you…_"

~~~POKÉMON~~~

"_I can't believe it…_" Ash's eyes darted to and fro as he sat in the living room in his bewildered state. "_And after what just happened in the kitchen, too!_". The trainer put his head in his shaking hands, and began taking slower breaths to calm himself down, but it was hardly helping. He stood up from the chair he was sitting in, and threw himself face down on the couch, burying his distraught face in a pillow. He didn't want anyone to see it if they walked in, granted the lights were off and the room was dark. "_I can hear Gary's voice…he probably realized that I saw, since I left all my stuff in the doorway like that…_" Ash cringed into the pillow. "_Please don't come down here, I don't want you to see me like this…so insecure._"

"Ash?" Gary repeated, stumbling down the stairs. "Ash, are you in here?" He caught a glance of the trainer on the couch, despite the darkness of the room. "There you are," Gary sighed in relief, he had began to worry that his friend had gone home.

"Go away," came a muffled voice.

"Ash, listen, it wasn't what it looked like," Gary explained.

"I don't want to talk about it."

"Come on, just let me explain." Gary replied. He sat on the edge of the couch as best as he could with Ash lying on the majority of it. He put a hand on the trainer's shoulder, only to have it shrugged off. "Ash…" the older teen muttered. Ash turned his head to the side so his voice wouldn't be muffled by the pillow.

"Look Gary, I don't want to hear it. I saw what I saw, and I don't want to think about it right now." Ash replied, clearly upset.

"But you're thinking about it now, so let me just clear things up!" Gary responded, not too thrilled with the way things were going. Ash was silent, and Gary took that as a go ahead. "Look, I was just doing my work on the computer, and Richie made a move on me…and well, he pushed me onto the desk, and I think that's when you walked in…" Gary's voice was hushed; he could hardly believe what he was saying. "_Oh man, this sounds ridiculous, who'd believe that little midget would make a move on me…I don't even believe it, and I was there!_"

"Then why weren't you making him stop?" Ash murmured, moving his face back into the pillow's protection.

"I was!" the researcher claimed.

"It didn't look like it from where I was standing…" came the muffled voice again.

"I was, I swear, I practically threw the kid across the room!" Gary explained earnestly.

"But why was he doing that. Why did you let him go that far?" Ash had rolled over so he was now at least facing his friend.

"I don't know why he did that, and I wasn't trying to let him do what he wanted. He caught me off guard, and I got the wind knocked out of me when he pushed me. You've got to believe me," the look in Gary's eyes was sincere, but Ash remained skeptical.

"Hmm…" the younger averted his gaze to the wall, unsure of how to handle the situation. He was hurt by what had just happened, both by his friend and his…well, other friend who he happened to like a lot. "I don't know…I'm gonna need to think this through, I don't know if I can trust-" Gary had leant over, and silenced Ash through a kiss of his own. Ash pushed up against the other's chest, breaking free.

"Gary, I don't think-" he was cut off again. Gary grabbed the younger teen's wrists, and held them tightly together, restricting their movement so he couldn't be pushed away from his prey. Ash turned his head sharply to break the contact once again.

"Gary…" the tone in Ash's voice was one of displeasure.

"Ash," Gary whispered, "if you don't believe that what I'm _saying_ is the truth, then at least let me _show _you that it is…" he brought a hand to Ash's cheek, gently directing his face so they were making eye contact. The silence was enough of a consensus for the scientist.

Gary went to continue the interrupted kiss from earlier, winding his fingers through Ash's hair. Realizing the uncomfortable twisted, sitting position he was in, he slowly climbed onto the couch. On his hands and knees, with Ash below him flat on his back, he began to nudge the younger's mouth open with his tongue. He stopped.

"Hey…" Gary muttered, staring down at the blushing teen.

"Hmm?" Ash opened his eyes.

"You need to open your mouth," the older replied, smirking. Ash blushed a shade darker.

"Sorry…" the trainer whispered.

"Don't apologize…" Gary reconvened their lips, this time sliding his tongue in without resistance. "_…just brushed his teeth_," the teen was pleased with the taste, as he tried to get some action from his partner's tongue as well. Ash clearly got the hint, and responded. "_Alright, Ashy-boy, good job._"

Gary brought one of his knees between Ash's legs, slowly bringing it forward, making contact with the boy. A sharp exhale through Ash's nose was all the signal Gary needed. He brought a hand down to the hem of the trainer's shirt, slid under it, and up his stomach just grazing over his skin. He could feel Ash tighten his stomach in response to the touch. At the same time, he noticed himself doing the same.

"Can you…?" Ash whispered, barely able to make eye contact, as he nudged Gary's arms up. He was grabbing onto the older teen's shirt, trying to remove it.

"Sure thing…but only if you do the same," Gary hummed, pulling his own shirt off, and tossing it on the floor.

"Not now…" Ash replied, stupefied from the sight of the bare skinned torso hovering over him. Gary was thoroughly enjoying the attention, but the young trainer was not going to get off that easily.

"Heh, nice try, Ashy-boy," Gary pulled Ash up so the boy was sitting up enough for Gary to remove his shirt for him. "You can't have all the fun."

Ash took advantage of his new position, and threw his arms around Gary's neck, as he began to suck on the sensitive skin around the boy's collarbone. Gary exhaled abruptly, partially from the sudden weight he had to support, and partially from the pleasing sensation of Ash's mouth browsing over his neck.

The researcher soon decided that it wasn't worth expending the energy to hold the two of them up with just his arms supporting them. He lowered himself down so that Ash was once again resting on the couch, and continued so as to lie directly on top of the younger's body. He could feel Ash growing hard beneath him from the contact. A stifled moan slipped out of Ash, as soon as their bodies touched. The trainer did his best to prevent it, but it didn't go as well as he had hoped. Their torsos' skin felt hot the touch, but the increased surface area of skin-to-skin contact resulted in nothing but sheer bliss for the two.

"Gary?" came the most unwelcomed interruption of all.

"Shit!" Gary hissed, pulling himself away from the entrancing entity he held beneath him. "Ash, pretend you're asleep." Ash nodded, and the older teen rolled off of the trainer, and onto the floor, pushing their shirts under the couch.

"Gary, is that you?" came Professor Oak's voice one more, as he switched on the light.

"Oh, ya, hey gramps. Sorry, must've fallen asleep," Gary faked a yawn, as he sat up on the floor. "_Why does everyone keep insisting on barging in whenever things are getting good!_"

"I've finished my work, and am on my way to bed. Make sure to turn the lights out when you're done down here." the old man replied, yawning himself.

"Alright, no problem. G'night," Gary replied, as his grandfather headed out of the room and down the hall. Gary got up on his knees, sighing. "Hey, Ashy-boy," Ash opened his eyes to find Gary hovering, and of course smirking, over him.

"What?" Ash questioned, a bit embarrassed as per usual.

"Ready to keep going?"

* * *

><p><em>Author's Note: So, how was it? Didn't expect Richie to go for Gary did you? That there...is a plot twist *dramatic music*. I figured that it'd be fun to through it in, so I hope you all enjoyed it... at least a little bit. OH, Also! Thank you all so much for your reviews, everytime I get a new one, it just motivates me that much more to keep on writing! I'm not trying to bribe you guys at all, I'm just saying that your reviews mean a lot to me, and that includes the positive ones, the complaining ones, and the critical ones, so thank you!<em>

_ALSO! Pay Attention. I'm going to go ahead and let you all know ahead of time, that this week is finals week for me, so I'm going to be SUPER BUSY! I will probably not be able to update again for a week or so as a result. I'm really sorry, so that's why I made sure to get this chapter out before the hellish week began. Thanks again for reading, **I'll be back soon!** - Saberae_


	7. Chapter 7

**_Author's Note:_** Hey everyone, what's up? Guess who's stuck taking nice, difficult classes _ALL_ summer? That's right! It's none other than yours truely! I'm sorry for the EXTREMELY late update. I had to get re-motivated to work on this, and well, ya. Hopefully I'll wrap this fic up pretty soon. Thanks for waiting all this time! - Saberae

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 7<strong>

"I don't think we should," Ash replied, averting his gaze. The heat that radiated from his body's excited state had begun to take the form of small beads of sweat. "I mean, that was a close call already, and I'm sure Richie will be down here looking for us any minute now." Ash concluded logically, sitting up on the couch. Gary sat down next to him.

"I hate to admit it, but you've got a good point," Gary sighed, closing his eyes, and lying his head on the back of the couch. They sat in silence.

"We should probably get our shirts back on…" Ash pointed out, leaning forward to search for the lost articles, but before he could make much progress, and arm pulled him back. Gary's hand slid behind Ash, grasping the young teen's far shoulder to pull him a bit closer. "Uh, Gary…"

"Hm?" The elder boy cracked an eye open and peered down at the trainer.

Ash raised his eyebrows in disbelief, "Do you _want_ someone to walk in on us?" the boy inquired.

"Now when did I ever say that?" the researcher smiled, closing his eyes again, exhaling. "Just chill, will ya?"

"We can 'chill' _after_ we're dressed, c'mon," Ash removed Gary's hand from his shoulder with his own, and felt around under the couch in search of the shirts.

"_Mmph_!," Gary sputtered, pulling his shirt off his face, "did you really have to nail me in the head with it?"

"You probably wouldn't have taken it otherwise…" Ash replied, pulling his shirt on over his head. Gary took in a last glimpse of the younger's torso, but not without the object of his attention noticing. Ash looked away, slightly embarrassed from the whole situation. He was definitely not used to this.

Gary slid his shirt on, but opted out of buttoning it up; it was too hot anyways. Plus, who would want to cover up such a magnificent body. Ash stood a few feet away, eyeing the grandfather clock across the room.

"Want me to read it for you?" Gary teased.

"I know how to read clocks, Gary," Ash retorted.

"Fine, fine. Then why don't you come back over here? We're dressed now, like you wanted." Gary inquired. Ash was hesitant. "Ash?"

"I feel bad about leaving Richie alone for all this time." the young teen replied, off-topic. Gary's eyes narrowed, the subject of Richie caused instant irritation to befall him.

"Weren't you just pissed off at him for earlier?" Gary replied sharply.

"No, I was pissed off at you," Ash replied bluntly.

"Wait, what?" Gary was slightly taken aback. "Are you still mad at me? C'mon, Ashy-boy, I already told you what happened. It wasn't my fault." Gary could hear the whine in his voice.

"Well, ya, I know, but still. Um, here, let me put it this way. I know you very well, er, pretty well. And I would say that you are probably the last person I know who would let someone else take advantage of them," the trainer explained, "So, I don't know what is going on with Richie, but I know that you shouldn't have let it gone that far. You could've prevented it."

"I told you, I stopped the kid as soon as I realized what was going on. It's not like I was sitting there prepared for something like that in case it happened. How could I have known that the little twerp would pounce on me like that?" Gary knew he was talking too much. "Look, Ash. I'm sorry, okay. I didn't mean for whatever that was to happen." he gritted his teeth, "…will you forgive me?" Ash smirked, something he rarely had the opportunity to do, and turned his back to the young scientist, heading towards the stairs.

"I guess I'll consider it, Gary…but I'll need some time to think about this. But you know, at the rate you're going, I'll be bunking with Richie for the night." the trainer snickered under his breath, and began climbing the stairs.

"Whoa, when did you decide that?" Gary clambered out of his position on the couch, awkwardly stumbling in the direction of the stairs. Ash didn't reply. "Ash, I know you can hear me!" he called, walking towards the stairs.

"I know I can hear you too," came the reply.

~~POKÉMON~~

"Richie?" Ash entered Gary's room, glancing about. "Huh, he's not in here…"

"Maybe he jumped out the window?" Gary suggested, following Ash into the room, shrugging off the fact that a guest was obviously missing.

"Ha-ha, Gary. Can you at least pretend to be nice for once…you can be such a jerk sometimes, you know?" Ash huffed, clearly irritated by the comment.

"But I _don't_ like him," Gary was stubborn, sometimes too stubborn for his own good. "I don't understand why I _have_ to…"

"Because he's my friend, and I like him," came the reasoning. Gary stifled a sigh of agitation. "Maybe he's in the guest room," Ash said more or less to himself heading out of the room. "_That Gary, why does he always have to be so difficult_?" The elder boy failed to follow.

"Ugh…" Gary flopped onto his bead facedown. "How can he be so intent on Richie after all that's happened tonight? I mean, I can barely think about anything else at this point." the teen sighed, and rolled over onto his back. "I can't believe I'm getting jealous about this…" he draped an arm over his eyes to block out the light. "_And now I'm talking to myself out loud again. You're really keeping it together, Gary…_"

~~POKÉMON~~

"Richie…?" Ash began, stepping around the corner and through the threshold of the guest room.

"Oh, hey Ash," Richie cleared his throat. He was in the midst of messing with some things on the dresser.

"Uh, hey. I wasn't sure where you had gone, and I just wanted to check on you…" Ash began, glad to have finally found his friend, safe and secure.

"Oh, what did you need to check on?" Richie inquired, having moved to rummage through a bag in the corner of the room.

"Just to make sure everything was alright, I guess," Ash stumbled through his thoughts.

"Why wouldn't everything be alright?" the smaller boy turned towards Ash, after finishing whatever he was fumbling with.

"Well, I dunno…" Ash was definitely feeling awkward at this point. "_I guess if Gary noticed that I had walked in on them, Richie would have too_."

"Is it about earlier?" Richie asked, a look of pain coming over his formerly chipper demeanor.

"Um, I suppose so…" Ash muttered, sitting on the edge of the bed, looking down at the floor. He wasn't really sure how he was supposed to handle this. Richie made his way over and sat next to him on the bed.

"It wasn't what you thought it was," Richie began, staring at the floor as well.

"What do you mean?" Ash questioned, not daring to move his gaze.

"Exactly what I said; you're probably thinking that I have some sort of feelings for Gary, right?" Richie began; he was being very open about this.

"…I guess so," came the hesitant response.

"Well, that's not really the case…" Richie continued. "You see, I did what I did not because I had feelings for Gary…"

"Then, why did you?" the trainer was getting more confused by the minute.

"You see…" the shorter boy hesitated, trying to search for the words. "It was for you."

"For me?" Ash was definitely confused now. "I don't really think I understand."

"I was afraid, for you." Richie explained, turning to face Ash for the first time in the conversation. "It's because I didn't want you to get hurt by him." the younger boy placed his hand on top of the other's. Ash flinched slightly at the contact. Richie's hand was warm, and trembling slightly.

"Him?" Ash's throat was dry, and the word hardly made it out above a whisper.

"You know who I'm talking about," Richie stated, closing his fingers around Ash's hand. "I tried something that I thought would lead him away from you. You know, distract him, or something."

"But why?" the trainer inquired, he could feel the heat in his face.

"Because, Ash," Richie leaned towards the other boy, "I want you for myself."

Ash's eyes widened at the statement, and continued to do so when Richie's mouth came into contact with his own. It was warm, like his hands. The elder trainer was paralyzed, more by shock than by anything else, his mind was blank. "_What's going on…why is Richie doing this? What should I do?_"

Richie pushed Ash gently back onto the bed, and proceeded to creep over him, the contact between them not once forfeited. Bringing a hand to the elder's face, Richie broke free for a breath, and brushed the hair out of Ash's eyes, and smiled.

"R-Richie, what are you doing, I don't-"

"Don't what?" Richie cut him off. "It's not like you have a girlfriend or anything…or boyfriend for that matter." Technically, Richie was right, but Ash wasn't too thrilled with the way he was making rounds, despite them being forced on him.

"I just don't feel comfortable with this, we're just friends after all," Ash replied, moving to get up.

"Oh, and I suppose that you and Gary are just friends too?" Richie retorted.

"Well…yaa" Ash glanced around nervously.

"Then you always have you friends stick their tongues down your throat?" Ash went red.

"He better not." came the stern, anger strewn, answer from the direction of the door. Gary stood at the entrance to the room, balled fists, clenched teeth, and a flame burning in his eyes. "What the hell do you think you're doing?"

* * *

><p><strong><em>Author's Note<em>**: And there you have it! Another chapter complete! I'm trying to get back into writing this, so forgive me if anything seems a bit rough, I'll work out any kinks in my writing soon enough. Anyways, I'll begin writing the next chapter ASAP, thanks for reading! - Saberae


	8. Chapter 8

**_Author's Note**:**_** I've been working for many hours on this chapter, hense the fact that's it's _SO MANY WORDS!_ Are you guys ready for this? This chapter has something like 4,270 words (according to the Doc Manager). Considering the former **average word count** was **2105 words** per chapter, that's approximately a **103% INCREASE!** Anyways, enought with my statistics, I know you all don't care. Go forth, read the chapter! - Saberae

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><p><strong>Chapter 8<strong>

"G-Gary!" Ash gasped, immediately realizing the awkwardness of the situation. He slipped out from where Richie hovered over him, and staggered off the bed. "Gary, I-"

"I don't want to hear it," Gary's words stung Ash like needles. The eldest teen continued his relentless glare at the youngest boy on the bed.

"Gary, just listen to me for a minute," Ash pleaded, hoping that Gary wouldn't flip out. He walked over to the object of his affection, and reached out, touching the other's arm gently. It was forcibly shrugged off.

"I _said_ I don't want to hear it!" Gary growled. He abruptly turned to face Ash, causing the trainer to flinch backwards at the sudden movement. "Just a few minutes ago you were getting on my case about falling victim to this kid, and here you are, lying in bed with him all over you!" Gary's eyes were angry, just as much as they were pained. "And _you_!" Gary stormed forward towards the bed the youngest of the trio resided on. Grabbing his collar and pulling him up onto his knees, Gary yanked Richie up to eye level. "What the hell are you trying to pull?" Richie flinched, eyes closed and trembling, terrified of receiving a black eye. "Well!" the researcher barked, shaking the boy once.

"Gary, stop! Let him go!" Ash ordered. He didn't want to see any of his friends get hurt, especially not as a result of a misunderstanding. He scurried to the side of the bed, so he could attempt to stop the conflict.

"Oh, what, so you're trying to defend him now? Is that how it is?" Gary tightened his grip on his victim's collar, pulling the boy a little closer. "I ought to knock this kid into next week, damn, next month!" the brunette raised his free hand into the air, forming a fist ready to strike.

"Gary, stop it, now!" Ash grabbed the scientist's arm, holding it back as best as he could.

"Let go of me, Ash,"

"Not until _you_ let go of Richie!" Ash warned.

"I said let go!" Gary growled, throwing his arm back to shake Ash lose, and at the same time inadvertently crashing his elbow into the trainer's face. Ash fell back onto the floor, and cringed at the pain from both impacts.

"Oww…" Ash moaned, clenching his jaw in an attempt to relieve the pain. He reached up to touch his face finding that his lower lip was split open and blood was trickling down his chin.

"Ash!" Gary gasped, the anger that clouded his eyes subsided, and a look of concern took its place. "Ash, are you alright? I didn't mean to hurt you, I just-" Gary cut himself off, dropping Richie, and darted to the wounded trainer's side. He helped prop Ash up, and knelt beside the boy he injured on the floor. "Ash…"

"I'm okay," Ash murmured. "It's just a small thing, and it's not even really bleeding that much."

"But…Ash, I'm-" Gary was fumbling for his words, "I'm sorry. I feel terrible."

"It's okay, I know you didn't mean to," Ash replied. "But I told you to stop, and you wouldn't listen to me. Why?"

"I…I don't know," Gary couldn't bring himself to look the younger teen in the eye.

"You can be so stubborn," Ash accused, shifting his weight so he could make an attempt to stand up. Grunting a little, he supported himself with the bed and stood up. He was definitely going to have bruises tomorrow. "Richie, are you okay?"

"I-I'm fine," Richie murmured, staring intently at the designs on the comforter. "I'm sorry."

"Hey, look, let's just talk things over. If we leave this alone it's just gonna be awkward for all of us," Ash stated, sitting with a sigh on the bed. "Gary? Where are you going?"

"To my room," muttered the brunette, disappearing around the corner into the hallway.

"Gary, wait! Come back!" Ash called after him, jumping off the bed in pursuit. "Ow, man, I must've hurt my side when I fell." the trainer realized, stopping his movement to nurse his injured self.

"Ash, are you okay?" Richie inquired sliding off the bed to stand next his friend.

"Ya, just a little banged up," Ash replied with a smile.

"Why don't you go wash up in the bathroom, you should clean that cut," Richie suggested, concerned for his friend's well-being. "If you want, I'll go talk to Gary, I'll apologize, and maybe we can salvage the night?"

"Thanks, Richie," the elder boy smiled, "but I'm not sure if it's a good idea for you to be alone in a room with Gary, who knows what he might do to you." Richie lowered his head.

"I'm really sorry about all this Ash. I made this whole evening absolutely terrible. I just didn't know what to do…"

"About what?"

"Nothing, it's just me thinking some crazy thoughts," smiled the younger trainer. "Now go wash your face off before you get blood on your clothes."

"Okay, mom," Ash replied sarcastically, pacing out of the guestroom towards the bathroom.

~~POKÉMON~~

"Damn it!" Gary cursed, punching the wall of his bedroom. Some of the drywall crumbled beneath his fist, and the dent was spotted with traces of blood. The brunette winced at the pain, and looking at his right hand, saw that his knuckles were bleeding from the impact. "_I deserve this_." the thought flashed through his mind in conjunction with the pain as he punched the wall in the same spot again. Exhaling, he shuffled over to his computer, and dropped into the chair.

"I can't believe I did that…" the teen muttered, running his hand over his face. He must've forgotten to shave that day since the stubble on his chin was rather coarse. He messed with it subconsciously while he scrolled through his e-mails; anything to get his mind off the fact he just injured the person he…really liked a lot.

"Hmm?" one of the e-mails peaked his interest. "_This is that one e-mail I was waiting on; looks like I might have to do some work tonight_." sighing, he leant back in his chair and rubbed his eyes with his clean hand. Printing the attachment from the e-mail, Gary noticed that his hand hadn't stopped bleeding as fast as he initially thought. The computer mouse had signs of blood on it, as well as the desk.

"Great, something else to deal with," the brunette glanced up at the nearby wall, "and gramps isn't gonna be too thrilled by that either." He grabbed the papers from the printer and his nightstand, in addition to his glasses, and decided it would be best for everyone if he cooled his steam some in the lab. "_Besides, Ash probably doesn't wanna see my face anytime soon_."

Gary approached the hall, and peered cautiously around the corner. The last thing he wanted to do was run into Ash or Richie. The coast was clear, and he sidled his way around the corner, and crept down the hall to the stairs, slinking his way down them with care.

"_That's a relief_," the researcher sighed. "_I guess they're talking things over still_." Gary walked into the kitchen, and tossed his things on the table before opening the fridge and grabbing a beer. Opening it, and taking a few gulps, he sat down at the kitchen table to look over the printed papers.

It wasn't long before the pain in his hand finally hit him, forcefully pulling his attention away from the data he was trying to analyze. He rinsed the mangled appendage under some cool water from the sink. The contact caused him to flinch from the singing sensation. His knuckles were raw, and throbbing, and felt a little itchy too. After some cringing, he managed to clean and dry his hand with a paper towel, and sat back down at the table, trying to focus on the work at hand.

~~POKÉMON~~

"Gary isn't in his room," Richie reported, poking his head into the bathroom. Ash stood at the mirror, dabbing his lip with a damp wash cloth.

"He isn't?" Ash replied, raising an eyebrow in disbelief.

"No, it looks like he was before, his computer is on and stuff," the younger trainer explained, sitting on the edge of the bathtub.

"Hmm, well he's got to be somewhere. Maybe he ran downstairs to get something to eat, or drink." Ash thought aloud. "You shouldn't bother him, he's impossible to talk to when he's angry. I mean, just look at my face if you want proof," he continued jokingly. Richie could tell that Ash was hurting more from the mental aspect of the injury than the physical.

"Ash…" Richie whispered, genuinely worried for his friend. "I'm sure Gary isn't angry anymore, he's probably just mulling things over on his own before he talks to us. He doesn't like to be wrong, so he's probably just making sure he gets things squared away so he doesn't say anything rash. I'm sure you know that better than I do."

"I know," Ash set the washcloth on the counter, and leaned in to get a closer look at his injury in the mirror. "Sometimes I can't stand him, he's so stubborn," Ash's irritation at the situation was beginning to show. "And people say I'm stubborn? Hah, well I'm pretty sure none of them have met Gary Oak." Sighing, the elder trainer turned around, and leant against the bathroom counter. "_No wonder we were rivals for so long, neither of us were ever willing to back down…_"

"Well, how about we get our mind off things while we wait for Mr. Stubborn to show his face again," Richie suggested, jumping up from his perch on the tub. "C'mon, why don't we go watch the tapes of the Pokémon League from a few years back or something?" Ash's short-lived frustration subsided, and he smiled in agreement.

"Sure, that sounds like fun. I haven't seen those in a while." the two boys headed out of the bathroom to rummage through the tapes in Gary's room.

~~POKÉMON~~

"I hope I didn't break anything…" Gary muttered, holding his hand outstretched above his face as he leant back in the kitchen chair. "C'mon Oak, you have to stop getting distracted!" Sitting back up, he flipped through the papers he had stacked in front of him, trying to make sense out of the data. "Do these people even know what they're doing?" the researcher's irritation was getting the best of him. He grabbed another beer from the fridge.

Sighing in frustration, he crossed his legs, and swallowed a good half of the can's contents. "_I'm going to have to recalculate half this crap…_" the teen ran his hand (his good one) through his hair, and began scribbling down various numbers next to the tables of data he had received.

~~POKÉMON~~

"Man, I forgot how long these were," Ash sighed, rolling onto his back.

"I know," Richie agreed, sitting up from where he lay on the floor so he could stretch some. "Can you believe we're only on the second tape?"

"How many are there again," the elder teen asked, rubbing his temples.

"Looks like…seven, I think,"

"Seven? That's ridiculous…but, I guess it makes sense with how many battles there were." Ash tried to figure out how many matches there were given the number of contestants, but gave up, losing interest. Richie paused the tape, taking a moment to rest his eyes some.

"It's crazy that Gary still has a VCR up here," the younger boy pointed out.

"I know, isn't it? Mine broke years ago. He takes really good care of all his electronics and stuff." Ash responded, closing his eyes.

"Hey, I think Gary's first round match is up next, think he'd want to watch it?" Richie asked, nudging Ash in the side.

"Hey, watch it!" Ash cringed, rolling quickly onto his stomach.

"Ah, sorry, I forgot about your side,"

"It's fine. Um, he might want to see it. He completely dominated that match after all." Ash recalled, sitting up so he could see the clock on the desk. "Oh wow, it has already been two hours."

"What time is it?" Richie questioned, refusing to get up from where he lay.

"11:30, I wonder where Gary could've been for all this time?"

"Maybe he went to the lab? Didn't he say earlier that he might have to do some work tonight?"

"Oh ya, he did say that, didn't he?" Ash recalled, pulling himself off the floor with the help of a nearby bookshelf. "Here, I'm gonna go look for him, wanna come?"

"Naa, I'm kinda tired. I'll just wait here 'til you guys get back," Richie replied, laying his head down on the carpet. "I'll go ahead and cue up the tape."

"Alright, I'll be back when I get a hold of him." Ash bade, as he left the room.

~~POKÉMON~~

"Errr…" Gary grumbled, running his hands through his hair in frustration. "None of this, makes _any_ sense, AT ALL!" he glanced between two of the pages in front of him. "_They didn't even do this conversion right…and here, I needed the density, not the molarity!_" he rested his head in his good hand, and sighed, finishing off his fifth beer…or maybe it was his sixth? "_It's a wonder I can make sense of anything with this much alcohol in my system_," the teen smirked. "_I wonder if I could polish off a six pack, and still do these calculations better than those sad excuses for lab technicians_." Sliding his chair towards the fridge, he grabbed the last can of the pack, opened it, and savored the surplus of carbonation from the first sip. He scooted the chair back to the table, not really being in the mood to deal with walking, and began writing further corrections.

"Gary…?" came a voice from the entrance of the kitchen, causing the researcher to jump slightly in his chair.

"Oh, Ashy-boy, it's you…" Gary sighed in relief, "you startled me there…"

"Sorry about that. So, what've you been up to for all this time," Ash eyed the number of empty cans on the table.

"Just looking over some data I got in an e-mail," the brunette replied, setting down the papers he held in his hand.

"Do you always drink a six pack of beer when you look over data?" Ash questioned skeptically.

"Every. Single. Time," Gary replied, surprisingly free of his normal sarcastic tone. Ash arched an eyebrow. "Relax, I'm just kidding…" the older teen shrugged, taking a sip of his current drink.

"How are you able to focus after drinking that much?" Ash inquired, curiosity getting the best of him.

"I'm not," the brunette replied bluntly. "I was for a while, but at this point I'm just getting a kick out of how sad those technicians who sent me this really are!" he laughed.

"Why are you drinking to begin with, and…so much? Ash questioned, noticing the flushed look on Gary's face. "Are you drunk?"

"_He had to ask, didn't he…there's no way I can come up with a believable excuse_," Gary sighed. "'Cause I wanted to, and probably."

"Because you wanted to, huh?"

"That's right, Ashy-Boy." Gary smiled.

"It wasn't because of earlier…was it?" Ash grew sullen at the mention of the event.

"Naa, I was just stressed out by this crap I got in the e-mail," Gary lied, trying to avoid eye contact.

"Really?"

"Really."

"I see…well, anyways, I came looking for you because we haven't seen you in a while, and…Gary, what happened to your hand?" Ash gently grabbed the other's hand, and inspected it.

"It was nothing," Gary replied, pulling his hand away.

"Let me see it, it's covered in blood," the younger boy pleaded, reaching for the wounded appendage.

"It's fine, the blood is dry anyways," the scientist replied, scooting his chair away from Ash.

"Gary, let me look at it, or at least tell me what happened," Ash commanded, determined to get one of the two," he grabbed Gary's right arm easily, probably thanks to the alcohol dulling his friend's reactions, but it was pulled away again. "Gary!" Ash growled.

"Just leave it, believe me it's fiiiiine," Gary stood up so he could back away from his pursuer, or at least he tried to stand up. Stumbling backwards, he caught himself on the counter. "_Man, I guess I didn't realize how much I actually drank_," Gary shook his head, and looked up towards the table. Ash was approaching him. "_Shit, he'll have the upper hand with me in this condition, for sure…wait, this isn't a fight…_"

"Please, Gary," Ash gently grabbed the boy's hand, and lifted it up so he could see it better.

"_I guess letting him look at it won't be so bad…as long as he doesn't find out I was punching a wall…_" Gary concluded. Ash's hands were warm, the exact opposite of his own. His hands were always cold, whether it be fall, winter, spring, or summer, so the touch was relaxing, it was nice, it was soothing.

"Here, we should wash this off some," Ash suggested, leading Gary to the sink, which was fortunately only two or three feet away. Gary eyed the boy tending to his wound.

"_Look at him, being so concerned for someone who nearly beat up his friend, and hit him in the face_," the elder teen smiled, "_I kinda wanna-._" Gary shook his head again, "_no, I can't do that, not after what I did to his…_" he looked down at Ash's lips, and found the small knick on his bottom lip that he had caused. It had healed up pretty well for being made a little over two hours earlier. "_Ahh, what the hell, I can't think straight anyways, no sense dwelling on this_," and with that, Gary leaned over, turned the trainer in his direction, and kissed him on the wound he himself had inflicted. The brunette could feel the hesitation emanating from the other side, and pulled away. He gave the younger boy a confused look.

"Gary, I…I'm so sorry about earlier," Ash murmured, looking down at the floor. "I'm sorry for not believing you, and I'm sorry for-"

"Just stop," Gary silenced him with another kiss that was a little more off the mark this time, but quickly corrected. Maneuvering his arms around the other, he lifted the shorter boy off the floor and set him on the counter. Ash pulled away this time.

"Gary."

"Hmmm?" the taller teen responded with a half lidded stare.

"This is kind of clichéd, why am I on the counter?"

"Because I'm too drunk, and this helps me aim for your mouth better." came the blunt response.

"Oh. Uh, well…" Ash stammered, unable to look Gary in the eye out of embarrassment.

"If you don't like clichés, then what would you suggest? Hm, Assshy-boyy?" Gary cleared his throat, as if it would actually cure his slurring speech. He usually liked to keep his degree of drunkenness to himself, so he really focused on keeping his words clean and articulated. Having Ash in front of him like this was distracting him though, and it was getting difficult to hide his flawed state.

"Um…" Ash pondered, hastily trying to think up something that could get him off the counter in case someone walked in. A cold shiver was sent through him. "Gary, what are you doing."

"Taking your shirt off."

"Why?"

"'Cause I want to." mumbled the brunette, as he began lifting the t-shirt to expose the bare skin underneath.

"_He's certainly straightforward when he's been drinking. I guess that's a good thing, I don't have to worry about decoding any cryptic messages_," Ash smiled. "I dunno, Gary," It was his turn to mess with the elder teen.

"You like me, right Ashy-boy?" the two boys stared at each other.

"…yes," Ash whispered, blushing form the embarrassment of saying it aloud.

"You've liked me for a while now?" Gary proceeded with the leading questions. Ash nodded sheepishly in response. "Alrighty then."

Gary pulled Ash down so he was now standing on the floor, and pinned the younger boy between the counter and his own heated body. The physical contact between the two of them was exhilarating, and Ash let out a sharp exhale in surprise. The elder teen let his body weigh down on the trainer underneath him, making sure the boy couldn't slip away. After he felt that he was in control of the situation, Gary took hold of the younger's jaw, angled it up appropriately, and set in for another kiss; one that hopefully wouldn't be interrupted.

Ash finally caved in. He was tired of being so paranoid someone would see, and tired of denying himself of what he really wanted. It was so nice to finally be this close to Gary Oak, not even in his wildest dreams could he have imagined that the researcher would be kissing him like this, and so soon after he confessed his feelings too. He began to release tension, and his muscles finally relaxed, causing his body to give slightly under the weight of the one he dreamt of for so long.

Gary's tongue delved deep into the other's mouth, taking the dominant role easily. He could feel the excitement building in his body, overriding his dulled senses without a problem. The brunette didn't even have to open his eyes to know that Ash was enjoying himself, grinding his pelvic area into the other's, causing Ash's breaths to shorten drastically was one of the more obvious signs. Thoughts flashed through the 19-year-old's mind, having strictly to do with sex, alcohol, and everything that was irrational in between; there was no stopping him at this point.

The taste of alcohol was strong in each kiss the two shared, but Ash didn't really mind, since the taste that was Gary was still evident. He could tell that he was blushing again slightly.

"_I really have to stop getting so embarrassed about this stuff…_" Ash resolved. As Gary pressed against him harder, the older teen's now apparent erection firmly let the younger boy know it was there. Ash's face grew hot, "_How the hell am I supposed to stop getting so embarrassed when Gary's…when Gary's…_" his mind went blank, the blood that once helped him think was running elsewhere. It actually had been for quite a while; Ash just hadn't been paying it much attention.

"_I couldn't think before 'cause of the beer, I couldn't think after that 'cause of Ash, and I can't think now 'cause of my dick..._" Gary smirked, changing his target to the trainer's unprotected neck. Clamping down, and sucking hard, Ash let out a stifled moan. The skin was so accessible, so smooth, and so easy to get a grip on. Taking advantage of the younger teen's distracted state; Gary reached down and began undoing his own belt. He skillfully undid the buckle, and pulled the belt through, gaining access to his zipper. Without hesitation he unzipped his pants, and spun Ash around. The sudden movement caught Ash by surprise, as he was now leaning on the counter.

"Gary, what are you doing?" Ash questioned, wanting to turn back around. Gary responded by pressing himself against Ash and reaching around to undo the trainer's belt. The brunette fumbled a bit, his drunken state getting the better of him again, but finally managed to undo the leather strip, unzipping, and slightly tugging the jeans down. "Gary…"

"Hmm?" the boy's breath was warm on Ash's neck, and the trainer's train of thought was temporarily lost. Gary pulled out his own throbbing member, and began to slide the younger boy's pants farther down so he could gain entrance. "Gary, we can't just get undressed in your kitchen…" Ash mumbled, he could feel Gary's boner nudging his backside, causing his own to respond.

"But I wanna be inside you," the brunette's voice was low, and soothing, his breath tickling the younger boy's ear. Ash exhaled shakily. Gary took the opportunity to slide a hand down the front of the other boy's torso, slipping below the beltline, and taking hold of the tantalizing erection.

"Gary," Ash let out a hushed gasp. The older teen's hand slowly began to move up and down over the hardened organ causing the receiver to shudder slightly. Picking up the tempo, Gary leant against Ash, kissing the back of his neck.

"Still don't wanna let me in?" Gary questioned, knowing he had already won the battle.

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><p><strong><em>Author's Note:<em>** Alright. Don't leave me too many flaming reviews, but do let me know what you think! I really enjoy reading them all, and as I said before, it serves as inspiration for my future chapters. I really appreciate comments regarding character portrayal, so those of you who have mentioned things relating to that, thanks. I'm always slightly concerned that I'll make someone a little too out of character, so let me know if you feel like I'm short-changing someone on their personality. So in summary, **please Review!** See you soon! - Saberae


	9. Chapter 9

****_**Author's Note:** Here I am, about a year later, with an update! I'm hoping to finish this story up this time around, we don't want another crazy hiatus like last time. I hope you all enjoy your long awaited 'Chapter 9'!_

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><p><strong>Chapter 9<strong>

Sweat had begun trickling down the younger teens back as a result of the brunette pressing against him, and the desire for further contact escalated. The trainer's body was reacting in ways he couldn't stop even if he tried… which was fine by him.

Gary was hardly able to restrain himself. His mind was racing, his heart pounding, skin burning. He bit his lip in an attempt to keep himself conscious…that is, keep the more rational, helpful self conscious. He grazed the younger's backside, only to have the boy recoil slightly.

"What's wrong," the pursuer inquired, his breathing on the verge of ragged.

"I…" Ash was hardly able to speak.

"Tell me," Gary's voice was welcoming, a quality not often heard. After a brief pause to collect his thoughts, Ash replied in a hushed voice.

"I don't want to do this."

"Ash…" Gary cooed. Ash paused again, giving off the appearance of debating his previous request.

"No…" the younger concluded again, but didn't really get to elaborate before the elder backed off with a huff. The sudden lack of warmth left Ash with a harsh feeling of dismay.

Adjusting, zipping, and buttoning his pants, Gary took a step backwards and turned away.

"Gary…" Ash, following suit in re-clothing himself, made to move in the direction of the object of his affection, stumbling slightly from his inability to dress while moving.

"It's fine…" Gary retorted, walking back to the kitchen table, gripping it for support. He began gathering up the papers he had strewn about, stacking them in no logical order. He was obviously pissed off.

"Gary, I'm not saying that I…don't want to," Ash caught himself, and trailed off. "_Wait, wait, WAIT! Ash, you are not going to stand here and plead for…this!_" He struggled in his head, debating over the best way to improve the situation without having to put himself in such a degrading, uncharacteristic position. His could still feel the warmth of his own flushed cheeks, and pleaded to himself that they'd cool down before Gary turned around.

Gary was silent. His thoughts were all over the place, and he couldn't focus. He knew that logically, Ash was making sense. But where was the fun in logic at a time like this. Where was the fun when your sex drive was through the roof?

"Ash, it's fine. I'm heading to the lab, so you can have my bed for tonight. I'll see you tomorrow morning, okay?" the teen cracked a smile in an attempt at selling whatever emotion he was trying to convey, but had managed to avoid contact with Ash. He then grabbed the papers, downed the last bit of his drink, and headed to the front door so he could make his way to the lab. Ash darted briskly in the same direction, and grabbed Gary's arm, keeping him from moving any farther.

"Gary…" his hand was shrugged off. The taller boy pulled his arm away abruptly, only offering a grunt in response. Gary was stubborn, few rivaled him. The only other person who could match the researcher in obstinacy was Ash. Bounding in front of him to block his exit, the younger teen glared intently into the eyes he adored so much, and scowled.

The former trainer was now getting frustrated. He couldn't get his work done, he couldn't leave the house, he couldn't get rid of that infuriating intruder upstairs, and he couldn't deal with his hormones. It was getting a bit ridiculous. Sighing, he averted his gaze, avoiding the now piercing look he was getting, and shifted his weight slightly to avoid swaying like a drunken idiot.

"Ash, let me go get some work done. I'll see you later."

"But-"

"Ash!" Gary paused, realizing he was raising his voice a little too much. "Ash. Look." His voice was stern, "Just give me some time to cool off."

"I'm the one who should need some cooling off!." Gary fell silent at his friend's sudden outburst. "You've been fighting with Richie all night, you've been giving me mixed signals," Ash was shaking his head in his own frustration, staring at his feet. "Then, you pull this on me in the kitchen? I'm still not even sure if you're just being your typical jerky self, or actually mean all this stuff you keep pulling!"

Ash took in a shaky breath, and exhaled, relieved that he finally got all of that out of his system. Then his eyes went wide, and immediately looked up to find Gary staring right back at him. The brunette's eyes didn't have their typical fire to them, they didn't have that condescending air, nor that cold loneliness. They looked soft…they looked sad.

With that, the older teen grabbed onto Ash's arm and yanked him to the side, allowing himself to make his exit through the front door. Ash tripped slightly from the unexpected force, but managed to catch himself before his footing faltered. The only thing he could manage to do was stand there, staring at the floor below him as the door latched shut.

"_What have I done…_" Ash furrowed his brow. He lent against the wall, needing some form of support whether it be mental or physical. "_What have I done? No…this isn't my fault, I wasn't ready for something like this to happen so soon. I mean, even if I wanted it…there's no way I'm ready for it. Is that really so wrong? Can he really blame me for being so uncertain?_"

~~~POKEMON~~~

_"You fucking bastard!_" Gary scoffed, disgusted with himself. He trudged through the darkness, with only the pale moonlight illuminating his path to the laboratory building. "_How could you do that to him…he obviously didn't want that. Hell, did I even want that? I mean, this whole thing just started today, and now Gary Oak wants to go all the way? I don't think so! _" The distraught man slowed to a stop, kicking an intruding pebble. "Does he really think that poorly of me? Have I really been that much of a dick that he would question my feelings for him after everything I've done today? I'm not even sure what I should do anymore…everything has backfired in the worst ways possible."

Gary chuckled, and ran his hand through his hair. The thought that he could be interested in a guy still baffled him. Emotions were something that he would never be able to understand, especially his own.

"But you know…" he continued, "_He really did want me…but then again, who can resist?_" The infamous smirk crawled its way back onto the brunette's face. Shrugging his shoulders and shaking his head, he made his way into the lab, trying his best to mentally prepare himself for the demanding tasks that lay ahead of him.

~~~POKEMON~~~

"There you are, I was about to head downstairs to look for you," Richie yawned dramatically.

Ash's face went red. If Richie had come down, he would've seen…that.

"O-Oh, well, umm…" Ash stammered, obviously flustered by the thought of being caught in such a compromising position. "I found him…Gary, I mean. He was doing work."

"Okay, well, is he going to come up here and watch the match?" Richie inquired, raising an eyebrow at his friend's behavior.

"Um…well…actually, I think I forgot to ask." Ash managed to get out, still trying to find his words. "_Pull yourself together, man._"

"You _think_ you forgot?" Richie sighed in disbelief.

"He was really busy, so, I kind of wanted to stop bothering him." Ash murmured, dropping his line of sight to the carpet. He was never really good at lying.

"Well, run downstairs and ask him then," Richie suggested, flopping back down onto the floor.

"I guess…" Ash mumbled. "_But there's no way I can talk to him now after what I said. He probably never wants to see my face again. I know I wouldn't…_"

Richie could hardly keep himself from rolling his eyes at his friend's difficulty in making a simple decision, but couldn't help from smiling.

~~~POKÉMON~~~

"Well that was stupid…" Gary complained, rubbing his eyes. He was lying on the couch that he had in his portion of the lab. His project was opened on the nearby computer, but hardly any progress had been made. It's not that it was difficult; it was just that the alcohol had caught up with him, and his vision was all sorts of not working right.

The monitor illuminated the relatively clean room. Compared to his grandfather's portion of the lab, this place was pristine. The younger scientist kept organized binders that lined a number of bookshelves. There was a desk, and a lab bench to work on. There was a reaction running that he had set up the night before, but it had a few more hours left to run before it could be used for anything. It bubbled, and the stir bar spinning at the bottom of the flask clinked against the glass sporadically. Along with the cooling fans in the computer, the random lab sounds slowly began to lull the brunette to sleep.

"Mmm…" Gary squeezed his eyes shut. It sounded like the door to the lab had just closed. He removed his arm from its position over his eyes, and blinked a few times. His computer had gone into sleep mode, and the monitor was off, encasing the lab in a think curtain of shadow. He cleared his throat, before attempting to sit up. "Is someone…"

"Shhh…" came the familiar voice.

"Ash?" Gary was cut off with a kiss, and his head was forced back down onto the couch. Gary mind was still unfocused; he had only passed out on the couch not ten minutes earlier. The researcher turned his head to the side, breaking free of the kiss. "Ash, I'm sorry about earlier. I wasn't thinking, and well…I'm sorry. I don't blame you for doubting…"

"Gary. It's okay," placing a hand on the brunette's cheek, the younger boy moved to entrance the other in another enticing kiss.

Desire began welling up inside the elder boy, and he pulled the shorter boy on top of him, sliding his arms around the slender framework that made up his affectionate friend. The warmth was welcomed, and the taller boy nuzzled the other's neck fondly.

"Thank you…" Gary whispered, elated that things were taking a turn for the better.

The lights flipped on.

Gary's eyes shut tight as a result, and his body tensed up, dreading having to explain things if it were his grandfather at the door. He struggled to open one eye, and even then, he had to squint to make out anything. Glancing up from underneath his partner at whoever was at the door, his eyes went wide.

Ash stood in the threshold of the lab. His face was still, his eyes were blank, but his hands were trembling as they curled up into fists.

The brunette threw the boy that was lying on top of him onto the floor without remorse, and leapt off the couch so quickly, he almost ended up in a heap on the floor himself. He clenched his teeth as the boy he cared about turned, and bolted out of the building without a word.

What had he done? How was he going to fix this? What happened? The rage inside of his heart was building, and the fire couldn't be kept at bay much longer. He jerked his vision to the floor, glaring at the boy that lay there. Gary couldn't contain a low growl forming in the back of his throat, he was going to beat this kid so hard, he wouldn't even remember being in Pallet Town. He took a step towards the kid, only to pause when his target started snickering.

"Gary Oak." the youngest teen began, "In response to your gratitude from before, I just wanted to say," he pause, smiling. "thank _you_."

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><p><em><strong>Author's Note<strong>: Alright. Progress. Not sure what to say other than Richie kinda pulled a cheap shot for jumping Gary when he wasn't ready for it. Hopefully Gary can get it together enough to fix things with Ash, but at this point, who knows what will happen. Please review, and let me know what you think! Thanks for reading :D_


	10. Chapter 10

_A/N: Hello, all of my dear readers! Welcome to chapter 10. I figured I'd give you guys another update since it has been far too long. I hope you enjoy it! - Saberae_

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><p><strong>Chapter 10<strong>

Eyes ablaze, Gary Oak towered over his victim. His breathing was ragged, irregular from drinking and from rage.

"Tell me, Richie," Oak cracked his knuckles as he took a step closer to the young boy who was still on the floor. "What the fuck are you doing!?" He grabbed the kid by the collar of his shirt, yanked him off the floor and slammed the boy into the wall. Richie flinched as he came into contact with the wall, cringing in pain. Gary dragged the spawn up the white plaster so their eyes were at the same level.

"Look at me!" Gary spat, he had zero patience at this point, if not less.

Richie cracked open one of his eyes, he was trembling as a result of his recent abuse, and trying to manage his breathing. The infuriated man tightened his grip on the cowering teen, and pulled him closer, only to thrust him back against the wall. Richie responded with a stifled yelp.

"Answer me!" came the growl. No response. He dropped the interrogated onto the floor, and scoffed. "Don't think for a second that this is over…" Gary threatened.

Richie kept his eyes closed as he coughed slightly from the impact of landing on the ground. He knew he was going to lose this fight, so he decided to keep his mouth shut for the time being.

"Tch. You better not be here when I get back," The scientist commanded, walking towards the door. He opened it, but paused. "I don't know what might become of you if you are…" The door slammed shut.

Richie exhaled, relieved that the danger was, at least for the time being, over. He sat up, and pulled his knees in close, lowering his head to rest on them.

"Why is it always about Ash?" Richie sighed, closing his eyes again. "_Why can't you see me_?"

~~~POKEMON~~~

Gary slammed into a tree.

"Damn it!" He cursed, trying to regain his footing. Why had he decided to drink tonight of all nights? He couldn't run straight, and kept stumbling into trees.

The brunette knew that Ash hadn't run back into the house; that would be too anti-dramatic for the teen. The trainer wouldn't have run home either, most likely out of fear of being called a 'momma's-boy'. The stumbling drunk had a pretty good idea as to where the younger boy was hiding out.

"I'm not a drunk," Gary muttered, bracing himself against a tree to keep from tripping again. The fact that it was dark was not helping his already wavering vision, not to mention he didn't have his glasses on hand; three strikes, and you're out. "_He better be there…there's no way that I'm going to be able to find him otherwise_." He released the tree from his grasp, and took very deliberate steps forward, scoping out the ground for any roots that may be trying to pick a fight with him.

The Pokémon researcher was probably about half way through the woods he was clumsily navigating. While it made his job more difficult, it was the quickest route to his destination, and it avoided him being seen by any judgmental townsfolk.

~~~POKEMON~~~

Ash sighed as he lay, sprawled out in the grass, staring at the starry sky above him. This was something he always appreciated from living in a small town; the lack of light pollution. He absentmindedly began counting stars, but closed his eyes once he realized the pointlessness of doing so. The trainer rolled over so he was laying face down in the green summer grass.

"This sucks…" the grass muffled his already quiet voice.

His mind replayed what he had just seen at the lab, and the teen cringed, rolling back over to gaze at the sky. He placed his hands behind his head and bit his lip in frustration.

"_I'm going to have to deal with both of them eventually_." Ash was being surprisingly logical for being…well, Ash. "_Maybe I should just head back now, and get things over with._" He sat up, and focused on the ground in front of him for a solid few seconds.

"No way!" Ash proclaimed aloud. "I'm not the one did anything wrong," he clenched his fists in defiance, "I didn't hurt anyone…" but he cut himself off. He remembered the sadness in Gary's eyes, the sadness that he himself had caused. He just stared for a moment, dwelling on the image. "No." He shook his head, as if in an attempt to shake his mind free of the thought.

Now he was the one fuming, it was his stubborn side coming out. It had accidentally been tucked away due to his other emotions taking over for the majority of the day, but now it had freed itself. The river from earlier that day splashed lightly against the half-submerged rocks. The air was warm, and the water probably felt nice. For the sake of cooling his head, the dark-haired boy stood up, stripped down to his boxers, and dove into the glistening moonlit water.

~~~POKEMON~~~

The young man, slightly disoriented from his impact with so much foliage, wandered out of the woods, pulling leaves out of his spiked hair.

"Shrubberies and I obviously don't get along," the teen smirked, amused by his own comment. He looked up at the starry sky, and took a moment to take it all in; the infinite expanse that lay ever beyond him. Taking in a deep breath of the night air, he glanced around to get his bearings. Gary was beginning to worry since he had taken so long to get through the wooded terrain; he wasn't sure how long Ash would stick around in one place.

~~~POKEMON~~~

Ash took a deep breath before submerging his head under the water, after a few seconds he reemerged, shaking his head to get the wet hair out of his eyes. His thoughts were scattered, and while his mind consistently wandered, it even more consistently always returned to the same topic. Gary Oak. He spread his limbs out so he could float on the surface of the river, trees casting shadows over his body as a result of the vibrant moonlight and clear skies. It was peaceful, only the sound of chirping crickets from the nearby hills echoed through the area.

There was a sound.

Ash turned his head more instinctively than out of interest in the direction of the noise.

"Gary." He whispered, solely for his own sake.

The brunette stood on the bank with his hands in his pockets, looking down at the shimmering ripples in the water the bathing boy was causing. His face was solemn. Ash quickly submerged his bottom half, and lowered himself into the water up to his chin. He knew that Gary could see him, but he felt safer being tucked away in the river's embrace nonetheless. There was silence between the two of them. What was probably only a few minutes, but seemed like forever, passed. At one point, Gary looked like he was about to say something, but changed his mind and remained silent, not daring to look Ash in the eye.

The trainer remained semi-submerged in the middle of the river with absolutely no clue what to do.

"_I waited for him to get here, I can wait for him to say something_," Ash assured himself. After all, he had enough experience at this point in his life to know that in situations like these, it was best for him to keep his mouth shut.

Silent seconds…

Silent minutes…

Gary exhaled audibly. Ash knew that mannerism, it meant the researcher was fed up, losing his patience, and/or disappointed…great. The trainer lowered his disappointed gaze to the water in front of him; maybe he should have said something after all.

Movement.

The trainer quickly looked up, and smiled to himself, quickly hiding it by submerging himself up to his nose in the river.

Gary dove into the river, having cast his shirt and shoes on the grassy bank before the plunge, and swam in the direction of the other teen, keeping himself underwater. Ash instinctively backed away some, unsure of how things would progress. The brunette broke the surface, practically on top of the younger boy, and without hesitation landed a kiss right on his target's lips.

Ash bobbed, wide-eyed, and shocked. What was he supposed to do? He was supposed to be angry, right? He had been debating whether or not to punch Gary in the face when he saw him next, but now…now his mind was to clouded to figure things out.

"Ash…" Gary whispered, scooting back some to give the two of them some space. "I'm sorry." He paused, and looked affectionately at the boy in front of him. "I'm sorry for everything that has happened, but please…know that everything I've told you today…has been true." The researcher averted his gaze, embarrassed by what he was saying, and blushed slightly. Fortunately for him, it was too dark to see.

Ash's eyes darted from Gary, to the water, and back again, never seeming to make a decision. Eventually, they did. The shorter boy stared at his friend, tracing over his moonlit facial features with precision. He was finally calming down some.

"I know," Ash finally managed to get out. Gary immediately moved his eyes to make contact with those of the speaker. "Gary, I know you weren't at fault…and I know, what I said before…" Ash swallowed, "about how I didn't know if you were doing and saying all these things because you meant them, or…" he looked down at the water, "or because you were just being a jerk…" Gary cringed at the verbal blow. Ash kept going. "I knew as soon as I said that stuff, that I was wrong. I felt terrible about it. Then, I was going to go apologize to you…but…"

"Stop," the researched cut him off. Ash looked into the other's eyes to find a stubborn set staring back at him. "You don't need to say any more." Also, in reality, Gary really didn't want to be reminded of what had happened earlier in the lab either. The taller boy maneuvered over to the trainer, and pulled him into a tight hug. "I'm sorry," he whispered again.

Ash relaxed, content now with being in the embrace of the other boy, and returned the hug. Though, the relaxation didn't last too long. The skin contact between their torsos sent shivers down the younger's spine.

"_C'mon Ash, keep it together_," these self-motivational conversations really had to stop. The darker haired boy cleared his throat slightly.

"So, I really enjoyed your kiss from a few minutes ago…" Ash murmured, blushing at his own comment. Gary released Ash enough so they were face-to-face.

"Oh, really?" Gary inquired. "You're lucky I landed it, I didn't know if I was gonna in my current state," he smirked.

"Wait, were you alright getting here?" Ash questioned, finally remembering the booze from before. Gary laughed.

"I may have had some trouble, but…" the older boy smirked.

"But…?" Ash replied hesitantly.

"But I'm sure you can make the trip more than worthwhile," Oak grinned, and leaned close to the other's ear. "I've been holding myself back for a while now. I'm so fucking horny for you…now, let me do as I please."

Ash turned beet red, and stammered out sounds that weren't actually audible words. With that, the brunette smirked, and ducked under the water.

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><p><em>AN: Thanks so much for reading. I'm not 100% certain but I may go ahead and write a sequal to this fic since it seems to be liked so much. What would you all like to see in the next installment? Feel free to PM me to let me know! I've really appreciated all your reviews, thanks guys! - Saberae_


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